It was, Yugi thought, a simple equation: You find the right person, you do the right things and, from there, you live happily ever after. Everything just... Well, everything goes right. The dates, the inside jokes, marriage, kids... He wanted the whole shebang, and he wanted it wrapped up in a neat little bow. Boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, boy and girl are together forever. It was simplicity at it's finest, and he was just naive enough to believe that things could really happen in such an easy way.

But, as we all find out, life was never easy.

Yugi had never been in love before Anzu, but somehow, as they stayed friends over the years, he knew he was. In love; head-over-heels, I've-fallen-and-I-can't-get-up love. He knew it in the same way he knew that the sun still existed even though it had set.

"I'm going to tell her." Yugi said on a particular, cloudy day. "I can't let myself wait any longer. She needs to know."

Yami looked up from the page in his book, but otherwise showed little interest in his best friend's sudden announcement. Yugi had been saying things along those lines for a couple years now, and each time Yugi had fallen short. He never could get those three formidable syllables out of his mouth whilst in her presence. They were both 23, and their school days were long behind them - and with it, the chances of the old gang getting together grew more and more rare. Of course Yugi felt as if he were running on a timer, sometimes; the topic of love loomed over their heads more and more the older they got. Parents, grandparents, friends...even complete strangers on the train were all interested in their love lives. It seemed the only questions anyone could ever ask was: "Anyone special in your life?" or "When are you going to settle down?" and even "You won't be young and good looking forever, you know!" It was as if they supposed finding the love of your life was something as easy as picking a flower.

"I'm serious." Yugi continued, seeing Yami's blank expression.

"I know you are." Yami replied.

"I'm going to do it."

"Yes, you've said."

"I'll go surprise her at the studio after her dance class today." Yugi decided, and Yami folded down the corner of his page, marking his spot, before he set his book down.

"Yugi...I don't think that is a good idea." Anticipation coiled in Yami's gut. He never expected to get into this topic with Yugi so soon...usually, Yugi would get all set to confess, and then back away for months at a time. Yami had been counting on that down period, but it had only been a couple weeks since Yugi's last declaration. He was growing more and more impatient.

"Why not?"

"Because...it's just not a good idea." Yami was still trying to find a way to ease into the subject.

Yugi's eyes narrowed.
"Why not?" His tone was dour.

So much for ease. Yami scooted to the edge of the couch. "There's something you need to know." He clenched his hands together. Swallowed hard. He couldn't look at his friend; He stared at his fingers instead. "Yugi..." Why was this so hard? Usually he could just say things he wanted to people, but with Yugi...he felt like he was walking on the very edge of a deep pool.

"Well?"

Yami decided to just take the plunge.
"You should give up on Anzu."

Instant defense.
"Why should I?"

"She doesn't see you in that way."

"Of course not." Yugi almost sounded amused. "Not now, anyway. But when I tell her I'm interested, she'll start to think of me in that light, too." Yugi was ever the believer in romance - whether it were true or not.

"No, Yugi." Yami had to be firm, there was no other way. If he was too mellow, Yugi would steamroll over anything that's said and believe in the supreme power of love. And once Yugi got going, he was impossible to stop. "Anzu is not interested in you."

"But when given the opportunity, she might. Didn't you hear what I just said?" Yugi asked, and Yami risked a glance upward. His posture was closed off - arms folded, lips curled down.

"No, I did." Yami noticed his knuckles were white, and he forced himself to relax. "And it's all well and good that you can be so sure and so positive...but you need to realize that things may not always go as you plan." He frowned. "Things don't work as you want them to." Yami's eyes came up, and they stayed there.

"Why are you saying these things?" Yugi asked.

"I'm trying to help."

"Well, you're not. You're being a complete downer, actually."

"I can't control how you feel." Yami almost laughed at the irony. "I care about you, so I want you to be happy."

"If you really cared, you'd be helping me - cheering me on, at least."

"I am." Yami cringed. "I was. I tried to at first, but now..." He offered Yugi a small smile. "Things change."

"Yami, I love her."

"It's because you love her." Yami's voice rose. "That's why you need to be careful - because Anzu does not love you."

Yugi took a step back, as if Yami's words had physically hurt him. It was silent for a beat, then:
"I cannot believe you'd be so cruel about this. I thought we were friends."

"That's not fair." Yami stood up, genuinely hurt. "You know I'm your friend."

"Then act like it! Can't you just be happy for me?"

"I would be, if it was right. But it's not!" Yami shook his head. "I wouldn't be trying to stop you if it would work... You know that. You know me."

"I thought I did."

"Yugi-" Yami placed a hand over his chest. "I would never say awful things just to hurt you."

"You don't know anything about Anzu. You've never tried to help me out with her." Yugi said. "You can't be telling me not to go after someone you never bothered to associate with. Every time I bring her up, it's like you turn to stone. From the very beginning, you've had some sort of problem."

"No, I didn't - not then. But now things are different. Just stop jumping down my throat and listen to what I have to say; You can't be with Anzu because she-"

"What? She's what?" Yugi's eyebrows crunched together. "Am I not good enough for her? Or is it that she's not good enough for me?"

"Neither! No!" Yami stared at his friend in disbelief. Things were going so terribly wrong. "Of course she's good - that's not what I-"

"So I'm the one not good enough, then?"

"You're not listening to me!" Yami yelled. He was feeling so frustrated, he could've pulled his hair out at that moment.

"No, you won't listen to me!" Yugi cried back. "Just be a good friend and wish me luck. I can take care of myself for the rest."

"I can't do that." Yami pressed his lips together, then, "You're going to get hurt."

Yugi's Adam's apple bobbed, but he stood taller.
"I'm still going." He said, his voice low. "You can't stop me."

Yami closed his eyes.
"I wish I could." He murmured.

"So that's it?" Yugi asked. "You're not coming with me, I take it?"

"I can't." Yami repeated. "I won't watch you do this to yourself."

Yugi grabbed his jacket and walked to the door.
"Then we have nothing more to say to each other."

"Yugi, please-"

"You know what, Yami?" Yugi's eyes blazed like fire as he opened the door. "Fuck you."

"Do you at least trust that I'm only thinking of your happiness?" Yami called after him, desperate to make him stay.

It was only for a second, but Yugi's stride faltered, and he looked back at Yami with an unreadable expression. But then he was gone, the door snapping shut behind him. Yami fell back on the couch, rubbing his face with his hands and wishing that the discussion had gone better. Wishing that everything were different.