Arashi: This story is for Larka in her time of need. I would appreciate if you are able to give her your support. This story was inspired by true events, mostly being about how I was teased and betrayed by someone I considered a friend. She talked behind my back and said crap about me, hence the idea of the story.

/Sayen holds up a sign/: Please show your support for my hikari's author sister. It would make the day of everyone who loves her for sure. Another thing is my aibou doesn't own Yugioh or the song What Hurts The Most.

Summary: Yugi sings the song 'What Hurts the Most' and thinks of what had happened to him so far in his life. He feels so confused and unsure as to why Anzu doesn't feel the same way as he does and never realizes the one thing he's wanted was right in front of him. He didn't think he was being watched but Atem and the rest of the gang hears him.

Pairings: Puzzle, small tender, bronze, and polar with an undertone of puppyshipping friendship and one sided peachshipping

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What Hurts the Most

In the rainiest day that ever came to Domino, a multi-color haired teen stood in the middle of the park. As people ran to their destinations, not wanting to get wet, he just gazed around with a dead expression in his amethyst eyes. He sighed softly as thoughts of the words that Anzu told him a couple of hours earlier ran through his mind.

-Two hours earlier-

Yugi smiled as he thought of his childhood friend and crush, very happy that he finally has the courage to tell her his feelings. The teen knew there might be the possibility that she doesn't return his feelings but he has to tell her before he loses the courage to confess. He heard the familiar footsteps of his oldest friend.

He glances at the direction of the steps, hoping to see a happy Anzu but he didn't expect to see the blank expression on her peachy features. She looked a bit pale for a moment then her normal color appeared; Yugi couldn't help but worry about Anzu. He watched her sigh for a moment before smiling at him wistfully.

"Anzu is everything alright?" Yugi asked shyly, scuffling his feet.

Anzu pondered a moment as a thought crossed her mind, 'Everything is not alright. The one person I like is in love with you, Yugi. Can't you see that you're better off with him then me?' She faked a smile hoping that the teen in front of her doesn't figure it out as she answered. "Everything is fine."

He raised his eyebrows, not really wanting to believe her but Yugi left it alone. He understood if she wants to tell him when she's ready. Yugi had to wait even if he hated to wait but for Anzu he would give her all the time in the world. He notices that she stiffened up slightly as he barely put his hand on her arm. He didn't know why but it hurt him more to feel her flinch at his touch. He ignored it, as he was getting ready to confess his feelings for her.

"Anzu, there is something that I need to tell you." Yugi started slowly, not sure if he could do this on his own. He started to wish that Atem was here with him while he tells his feelings to his crush.

"What is it Yugi?" Anzu asked, trying not to be suspicious of the blush that dusted his cheeks.

She hopes that Yugi doesn't have a crush on her because she doesn't want to hurt him. She then would have no choice but to reject him because she just cared for him as a friend and already knew someone else cares about her friend more then she ever could.

The dusted pink on Yugi's cheek adorably darkens as he sputtered out embarrassedly. "The thing is Anzu that I sort of …have a crushonforawhile."

Anzu blinked as she tried to figure out what her oldest friend said. She thought he said that he as a crush on her for awhile but wasn't sure. Wanted to make sure that she heard right, she gently question the blushing teen. "Can you repeat that Yugi but slower this time."

"Sorry about that 'zu. I said that I have had a crush on you for awhile." Yugi replied with hopeful look in his wide beautiful amethyst eyes as he said her childhood nickname.

Anzu groaned softly knowing that she had to reject the poor boy. She closed her eyes, trying to ignore a sad look that she knew was going to be on his face when she tells him her answer.

"Yugi, I'm honored that you like me but the thing is that I consider you to be my friend. I originally liked someone else but he already was taken. I'm very sorry Yugi but I just don't see you that way. You're my best friend and I'll always love you, but as a friend." She told her friend sad and guilty at the devastated look on his cherubic features.

Anzu gently rejected the tri-colored teen and he felt tears stinging his eyes. He couldn't understand why but he realizes that she was being gentle about it and not like other girls. Others would make fun of him and tease him for a long time as if he wasn't bullied around before. They could easily hurt him more then anything and to the point of belittling him. It would be much worse as rumors will spread about him and the possibility of losing his friends.

He tried to smile but the pain was too much for him. As if understanding the pain herself, Anzu leaned forward as she whispered in his ear. "Yugi, there is someone out there for you and one day I hope you'll find that person." Smiling softly as the tears flowed down his cheeks, Yugi nodded as he felt Anzu hug him. She gave him a soft kiss on the cheek and squeezed him one more time in comfort and apologetically before she walked off. Yugi stared as she walked farther away from him and he sighed, trying to understand the advice she gave him.

It just didn't make that much sense at all. What did he do wrong? Was saving the world constantly finally putting a strain on their friendship? Could it be that she's tired of everything and wants a normal life? The one question that bugged the poor teen was would she ever forgive him if he done something wrong and don't want to be friends anymore? Was it worth it to save the world and to lose his friends in the process?

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-Present time-

He had a tough childhood, when he was small and before he meets Anzu and others. He had a friend named Zack who he used to play around with all the time. Zack protected him against the big kids until one day something happened.

Zack acted strange and wouldn't help him when the big kids came around. He let the other kids beat him up and he just sits to one side, watching as Yugi called out to him. He later found out that one of the older kids started a rumor about him, he never found out the reason why, but Zack just stopped talking to him and called him names.

The other boy just laughed when ever he got hurt and it came to the point that Yugi didn't want to go to the park. He never could understand why his first friend did that but he learned a lesson that a child of five years old should never learn at such an age. Be careful of whom you trust and the possibility that they may hurt you someday.

Yugi shook his head to get rid of the thoughts of his first friend. He couldn't understand why he had to have a hard life. He never blamed his grandfather for his misfortunes, he was grateful to have such a wonderful guardian. He just wish he had a way to repay the old man for being his father figure in his life.

The teen started humming a song he heard the other day by a country band. He liked the song and it seemed to remind him of his life. Not many songs did remind him of himself but of his friends mostly.

He slowly worked the lyrics as thoughts streamed back and forth in his mind very much similar to an ocean "I can take the rain on the roof of this empty house, that don't bother me. I can take a few tears now and then and just let them out. I'm not afraid to cry every once in a while, even though going on with you gone still upsets me. There are days every now and again I pretend I'm ok, but that's not what gets me."

This part of the song always reminds him of the time when Zack was around and friends with him. He closed his eyes as he allowed all the memories to come at once so he could sort through them to find an answer.

"What hurts the most, was being so close, and having so much to say, and watching you walk away. And never knowing, what could have been, and not seeing that loving you, is what I was tryin' to do"

Yugi's voice slowly got louder and didn't realize he had an audience watching him. Atem was transfixed by the angelic voice of his aibou that he didn't realize he was about to fall when he felt someone grab his shirt. He glances over to see both Jou and Seto holding him, glaring at the other while Mai stood next to Jou as she rolled her eyes.

"It's hard to deal with the pain of losing you everywhere I go, but I'm doin' it. It's hard to force that smile when I see our old friends and I'm alone, still harder getting up, getting dressed, livin' with this regret, but I know if I could do it over I would trade give away all the words that I saved in my heart, that I left unspoken."

He sang this part so beautiful that it nearly causes Ryou, Malik, Serenity, and Mokuba to have tears in their eyes just by watching the scene in front of them.

"And watching you walk away, and never knowing, what could have been, and not seeing that loving you, is what I was trying to do."

In Yugi's mind, he watches his memories flashing of Anzu and for some strange reason Atem. Many scenes fluttered of each, soon only Atem's shows in his mind from the very beginning after he finished the puzzle to now. Each memory of his darker half more precious to him then the last as they floated along with the picture of Atem floated subconsciously around his mind.

"What hurts the most, is being so close, and having so much to say, and watching you walk away, and never knowing, what could have been, and not seeing that loving you, is what I was trying to do."

The fears of dueling Atem came to mind; what if Atem didn't want to stay with the others, especially him. Then it hit all of a sudden. He only had a slight crush on Anzu to hide his real feelings for his darker half. How didn't he see it before? The message made sense; Anzu was telling him in her own way that he had Atem in his life and he would cherish the very ground that Yugi walks on.

"Not seeing that loving you, that's what I was trying to do, Ooohhh…" Yugi finished as he opened his eyes, suddenly a sounds of clapping from behind a tree. He looks around him trying to pinpoint the direction it came from. A thud was heard behind him as well as some snickering.

Gazing over his shoulder at the ground was Atem smiling sheepishly at him. Jou and Seto glances from behind the tree smiling at him while Mai re-rolled her eyes at the two terrors in front of her as she murmured a threat to the two boys that made them stiffen like a board. Marik and Bakura hugged their lights to their chests as soft sniffles came from the two boys at the beauty and the sadness of the song.

Atem got up towards his aibou smiling at the smaller boy, as his ruby eyes twinkled with an emotion that Yugi couldn't quite detect at first.

"That was amazing Aibou." Atem spoke as the gentleness of the tone swirled around him for a moment. Yugi blushed as he realized they heard him sing and he didn't see or hear them. The praise by Atem was worth more then anyone ever could give Yugi.

The others smile as they watch the two boys talk in the distance. Joey muttered to Seto under his breath so Mai couldn't quite hear him. "Set, when do you think the wedding is going to take place?"

Seto nearly choked at the words his friend said, and glances at him hoping to find him joking around. Joey wasn't joking' he's actually serious about this and he gazed at the blue eyes of his once rival and now closet friend even a brother.

Seto grinned himself as he replied, watching the two said people with a satisfied look in his eyes. "Hopefully for the whole gang soon if you ask me personally. It's about time they get together after so long of dancing around the other."

Marik and Bakura smirked as they listened to the brunet and blond's conversation; they couldn't agree more with the two boys. Their hikaris rolled their eyes when suddenly the girls went "Aww!"

The boys stared at the direction of their two friends to find them kissing. They grinned as they pulled the video camera that was in Bakura's bag and filmed the two new love birds. They are happy for their friends and couldn't wait for the day when they get married to give them the tape of their first kiss.

Yugi sighed softly as the kiss ended. Atem pulled away smiling at his hikari. He whispered to the smaller boy, "Yugi, understand that I will never hurt you. I love you, my light, far too much to let anything happen."

Yugi grinned at his darkness as he placed a kiss on his new lover's cheek. "Love you too, Atem."

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Arashi: I hope you guys like the story. Please read and review.