Title: Here I Stand in the Shadows
Author: Chibi Envy Chan
Rated: PG
Warnings: shounen ai, male/male
Pairing: Yuugi/Jou unrequited
Extra: Gift fic for Sachiel Bloodfang
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.
It had been a long and hard duel, but he won. Yet it was a bittersweet victory. Not only had he lost a best friend but a partner. He became confident and strong enough on his own; however, there was always that empty part of him. Yes, he was strong, but it didn't make him happy.
As they boarded the plane back to Japan, Yuugi looked downer than usual. His small hands clutched his clothes, where his puzzle would be hanging there had he not passed his test.
In spite of his seemingly lack of intelligence and observation skills, Jou had a few moments. He knew his best friend was down, and it didn't take a genius to figure out the reason. As much as he wanted to talk, he figured he should wait until the others fell asleep.
Once the others were asleep, Jou nudged Yuugi until he woke up.
"What is it?" Yuugi asked sleepily, attempting to stifle a yawn.
"You miss him don't you?" Jou received a 'no duh' look. "I mean you miss him more than they think."
Violet eyes widened. Was he that obvious? "I don't know what you're talking about." He really didn't want to talk about it, but he knew Jou hit the mark.
Jou sighed a long one. "You don't have to hide it from me. I'm your best friend. Tell you what. You don't have to tell me if that's what you want, but I'm here for you, any time of the day. It don't matter if I'm sleeping or not. Ya hear?"
Yuugi smiled genuinely, albeit small. "Thanks." Now that he was awake, he couldn't go back to sleep. His mind kept going over that duel. Sure, he won it fair and square, but that didn't mean he liked the results. He missed a large portion of himself.
'Atemu, I wonder what you're doing. Do you miss me? I miss you a lot. I wish it didn't have to be this way, but that's selfish of me. You deserve a rest.'
The blond watched as the new Game King stared out the window. 'Best friend, that's the closest I'll ever be. It's hard to compete against someone like you even if you're not around. But I don't hate you for it. You're still my friend, wherever you are.'
No matter where he went, his shadow still remained with them.