A/N: And I'm back! (But very busy with school!) Lol, so this was actually not the story I had planned on writing next. But when I plopped myself down to write after a stressful week, this is what came up, so I'm going with it.
Summary: The best friend had become the one. As Yami struggles in an attempt to deal, he finds himself questioning choices and the concept of ordinance. One single perspective would cause the others' futures to entwine with his, leaving them all in a terrifying situation neither of them could have ever predicted. YxJ, YxYY
Warnings: YugixJoey, YugixYami, Mature Themes, Violence, Language
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of the awesome characters associated with that show. Seriously, aren't the characters awesome?
Hope.
It was the one thing he held onto...
For the third day this week, Yugi Muto entered his home smiling radiantly, causing the thick, drab atmosphere of the dead game shop to immediately illuminate. The other boy stood tall and elegantly at the front counter, silently awaiting the customers that would never arrive due to the promised storm brewing outside. He watched intently as the shorter one shook his head to release the water droplets that had gathered in his soft strands of wild hair. Yugi didn't speak; all the other received was a very cheeky grin from the lithe boy before he took off upstairs and vanished.
Yami had always stood for Yugi's protection and happiness. Maybe that was the sole problem, the reason why he continued to feel this way day after day.
Yugi was growing up.
He couldn't even be called a boy anymore really, he was now eighteen, a full-fledged adult. Still vertically challenged by male standard of course, but he now stood at just a few inches shorter than Yami, and he couldn't be more gracious for the small growth spurt. His ivory skin was still looking as flawless and soft as it did when he was fifteen. His hair was still as odd. His innocent, wide eyes remained forever unchanged; those deep violet irises taunting Yami for all they were worth…
When he decided to stay true to his promise to always be there for Yugi and turned away altogether from his past, he had thought things were going to be different. To say he hadn't would be a complete lie. The tears of genuine joy pouring down Yugi's cheeks as he turned away from the door, that look on his face, Yami had thought…
His hopes were destroyed mere weeks after they returned to Domino.
Even with his own body, even though he could now physically reach out to the boy, could finally express his true feelings for the "King of Games" and have them returned, even though they could finally be together like they were meant to be, supposed to be, Yugi had unknowingly dealt him a blow like no other.
In the end, Yami had gotten all he ever wanted. Well, almost everything. His past was rediscovered, he finally had an identity, and to top it all off he had created unbreakable bonds with his new friends. And with Yugi, that bond was tremendously intensified. He breathed Yugi, he lived Yugi; every aspect of his world continued to revolve around him. But just how much of Yugi's heart and soul did he himself hold? While it was undeniably significant, as the boy had informed him of many a time, Yami slowly began to realize it just wasn't enough.
Couldn't possible be, because Yugi's heart belonged to...
To him.
Sandy blonde hair, a goofy grin, impeccable recklessness; all traits of that loveable moron: Joey Wheeler. Yugi had not once mentioned a word about anything, and nothing was officially going on between the two as far as he knew, but Yami had been and always would be an analyzer, a tactful player, and each of the clues provided seemed to gouge at a place past his very skin. The way the boy's face lit up every time he talked about the blonde's crazy antics, the slight tinge that graced the surface of his cheeks every time those determined honey-colored eyes met with his. All of the laughter; Yugi always laughed so much when Joey was around. That same grin Yugi wore mere seconds earlier on his face was only there whenever he was on his mind.
And he was without a doubt that Joey was also falling for his best friend. Every smile, every look, every longer-than-normal touch gave him that dreadful confirmation, and it literally made him sick to his stomach. So much so that he could hardly endure being in the same room as the two. Because it was in these moments that Yami became only a bystander. Forgotten, ignored, disregarded…a mere pawn lost in the mute black hole that is heartbreak.
Part of him liked to believe that he was only trying to be protective of Yugi, just trying to keep him safe from any aspect of the harmful outside world; it made the hurt sting less that way. But at the end of the day, when he laid in his bed and his thoughts were left to endless abandon, it always hit him right in the face: Here he was, in love with the boy who had salvaged him from the darkness, the boy who had gently taught him love and compassion, the only one who made him want to be better, but his feelings were left entirely unreturned.
Maybe the worst part of it all was that Yugi had no clue. But how could he possibly tell him now, when he was so obviously smitten with Joey? Maybe it was too late. Oh, how he wished he still had that mind connection with Yugi; could hear his thoughts, could know exactly what he was feeling…or at least feed his own thoughts into the boy so he that he could just...understand.
And yet, Joey was Yami's friend; would most likely forever be his friend. How could it possibly be right to hate someone who had risked all for you? Who had stuck by you and helped lift you off your feet every time you fell? Was hate even the right word? Every rule in the book told him that he should learn to respect the two and learn to let it go. Leave it be now, so as to save him the pain that was sure to crash upon him in the case that they ever did get together. Protect himself. Block the hurt. But every single time he stared at Yugi; every distinct glance into those passionate eyes made all the past memories flood through him like wildfire, and deep down he was assured that he just could not, would not give him up. Not when they were so close…so damn close…Yugi was his partner, his aibou, his soulmate. Not Joey's.
Never Joey's.
He heard the soft patter of footsteps coming down the stairs, each echo breaking through his rampant thoughts. He barely heard the tiny gasp to his left, but soon felt the warm hands that enveloped his left one.
"Yami, you're bleeding!"
Yami slowly turned to look down at the figure of his desire, the sole being of his dreams. Such genuine concern in those large eyes; Yami had to turn his own away to refrain from the dangerous feelings boiling within him. To hold him, to caress his face, to kiss him and claim him as his own…
He gently pulled his hand out of Yugi's to glance at the damage he hadn't even noticed he'd caused. Upon close inspection he could see a few fresh crescent marks; he had been clenching his fists so hard that his nails had dug into and broke deeply through the skin. He watched as the weightless crimson flowed beautifully down his palm, then quickly fisted his right hand to conceal the other from Yugi.
"Box-cutter accident," Yami said with a shrug and his infamous smirk as he nodded towards the open boxes behind him containing loads of Duel Monsters Cards.
Yugi sighed and looked at him hopelessly. "What are we going to do with you? Come on, let's get you cleaned up."
"Don't worry, I can do it. Can you do me a favor though and organize those cards?"
"Oh, uh, okay, sure."
"Thanks," Yami said with a smile, which Yugi returned with a short but concerned, "Mmhmm," before turning away to get to work.
The former Pharaoh made his way to the restroom and ran the water in the sink. He ran both of his hands under the opaque liquid, watching as the small amount of blood streamed down and mixed with the sheerness of the crystal water. He cleaned up his wounds, and bandaged up both of them before placing his hands on either side of the sink. He took a deep breath and looked into the mirror, in an attempt to look past his own crimson irises, into his very soul. It was there where Yugi resided and held the most impact.
He finally moved away from the mirror and headed back towards the shop portion of the home, running into Yugi's grandfather on the way. The encounter was brief but warming; Yami held great respect for Solomon Muto and truly enjoyed any bout of conversation he had with him. Solomon was slightly too eccentric in Yami's opinion, and to this day was still a bit of a pervert around the ladies, but it was near impossible not to love him. He had practically raised Yugi, after all.
Back in the Game Shop, Yami watched as Yugi struggled to set a tin box of cards on one of the top counters. It was actually quite cute. After the fourth leap he had witnessed ended in failure, Yugi finally noticed Yami's presence and blushed profusely.
"I can't reach," he said with a laugh, breathing a little heavier than normal due to the exertion.
"I could go and get you a step ladder if you would-"
"Oh, shut up," Yugi said with a playful roll of his eyes. "No, I can do it."
"Please continue then."
Yugi turned and leapt again, and through determination or just wanting to prove Yami wrong reached a little further than before, but still landed with a light "oomph," which Yami chuckled at. The smaller boy analyzed the situation for a second before replying, "Hey, mind giving me a lift?"
"What?"
"Yeah, just put your hands together and give me a boost, it'll only take a second."
"Err, alright."
Yami knelt on one knee and intertwined his fingers so Yugi could quickly step up and grab the ledge of the counter with one hand, and place the tin box inside with the other. Yugi fumbled closing the cabinet door though, and his balance quickly evaporated, sending him spiraling backwards. Yami, who only held Yugi's foot, quickly released it and braced his arms to catch the falling boy. The impact knocked him over and he winced as his back collided to the floor. Yugi gasped more out of surprise than anything, his eyes wide with shock and concern.
"Yami, please say you're okay."
"I'm fine," Yami managed to say through his gritted teeth.
Yugi quickly got off of him, truth be told a little to Yami's dismay, and hurriedly helped him up. After a quick check over Yami, Yugi sighed. "There you go again...risking yourself for me," the smaller boy said with a slight frown. "I've asked you before and I'll ask you again, please, please stop it."
Yami gazed directly into violet. "You should know better than to request something like that Yugi."
Yugi sighed, his eyes falling to the floor. "I know, I honestly don't even know why I try." The comment made Yami's lip curl into a triumphant smirk. Yugi looked up at him in all seriousness, but couldn't stop the smile edging on his face, and he playfully threw a pack of Duel Monsters cards at Yami in frustration. "Well, I'm gonna go help Grandpa with dinner. Joey's coming over," he said, not noticing the way Yami stiffened at the name. "and you know how he can eat," he continued with a light smile, one that would be unsuspicious to anyone but his dark.
"Yes...yes I know."
"His dad's out of town, and I don't want him to have to be alone. Being alone, well, it sucks." Yugi went quiet afterwards, and Yami didn't speak either, both reveling in the statement, each in their own respect.
After a few seconds of silence Yugi finally shrugged and stepped past Yami and left into the kitchen, while Yami's lost gaze turned to the front door. He finally began to notice the sting of his hands and glanced down at them before eyeing another shiny aluminum box of Duel Monsters cards laying on the counter. After checking to make sure they had enough of those specific sets on display, he carefully picked the box up and made his way over to the tall cabinet that Yugi had fallen from before. With his eyes never leaving the top of the counter and a slight hop, he somehow managed to place the box inside. After an almost defying glance back at the front door, he turned away and left after Yugi.