Yugi didn't more, he hardly even breathed.

Ok, this was good as far as delusions went but, when the image before him was gone and reality had set in, Yugi would only sink deeper into the raging fire of despair. He was barely hanging on as it was. . .

"Yugi." Yami repeated.

But it wasn't Yami. It couldn't be. . .

Tears came spilling out. "Yami." the younger finally chocked.

Suddenly Yugi was being wrapped into a firm, warm embrace. Real arms wrapped around the smaller of the two, real warmth radiated from the larger body and a real heartbeat could be heard under that chest. "It's alright, Yugi, I'm here. I'm here."

Yugi ripped away from the hug. "but you. . .you. . .you're meant to be g-gone."

"I know." Yami said with a grave smile.

Yugi studied his yami. "Oh, Ra. Yami, what did you do?"

The once-pharaoh blinked. "I don't know what you mean . . ."

"Don't play dumb with me. I am not a child." Yugi snapped in a very un-Yugi fashion. "I know you. Now, what deal did you strike?"

"None." Yami said. "I'm just not allowed to kill myself."

Yugi rose an eyebrow. "You can live as long as you don't kill yourself?"

"Pretty much."

The younger frowned. That seemed almost too good to be true. There was something else, something Yami was keeping from his light. But, for now, that didn't matter. Yami was here. Yami was touchable. Yami was alive.

"Let's go tell the others."

Hunger. Hunger burned through the link from Yami's end. Yugi could understand this; it must have been forever since the Pharaoh had eaten anything.

"But let me feed you before we do anything."

Yugi and a nervous Yami approached the gang quietly.

The gang was standing around, duelling for the fun of it, laughing and chatting.

The two waited for one of the crowd to spot them. They all fell silent when they did.

"Shit." said Joey.

"Yami?" Tea asked.

The ex-pharaoh nodded.

There was a long silence before Seto started laughing. "Of course you'd find a way back, you're just as stubborn as Yugi."

That broke some of the ice.

Yami was greeted and embraced by everyone. They each welcomed him back to the land of the living. He beamed at each and every one of them, happy that they were happy he was back. But, when he looked around for Yugi, the young one was nowhere to be found.

Yugi was in his room, pacing again.

He had watched his friends embrace the Pharaoh roughly and an odd sense of loneliness had sparked in his heart and flared into a burning fire. Yugi had realized he was nothing without Yami. If not for Yami, he would have never won half the battles he did. Yami had done so much for him and had been offered nothing in return. Of course Yugi had something to give Yami but how could he give it when he knew Yami would be disgusted.

How could Yugi give Yami his heart. . .

When he already had?