Authors note: For those of you waiting for the angst, this chapters for you, though I did add in a humorous scene to lighten the mood. After all, I mentioned fluff too. Poor Yami. (smirks) ...I don't own Yugioh. (yawns) Copyrights are boring.

Chapter four:

Brotherly love

Yugi stared into his empty locker, trying to block out the sounds of excited voices around him.

It was the end of the school day, meaning that the students were now preparing to go home, not to mention opening all their gifts.

"And as usual, I'm left out. Its just another fact that girls, not even boys, like me. Not that I actually want another boy liking me. At least..."

Closing his locker with a sigh, Yugi turned to leave. His only thoughts were to get home so he could finish tonight's homework; maybe even cry, but just a little.

"Hey, Yug'! Wait up!" shouted a voice from behind him.

Yugi knew who it was before he even turned to look.

Jounouchi and Honda; right on cue with their yearly pity offering.

Jounouchi was the taller of the two; soft brown eyes peering out from underneath a mess of blonde hair.

Honda also had brown eyes, but people usually noticed his brown hair first, only because of how it joined into a triangle shaped point that reached out over his forehead.

Yugi knew Jounouchi was only making sure he wasn't being left out, but sometimes he wished his blonde friend would just get the hint.

"Guys, I'm really not in the mood for your games right now."

"Oh, come on, Yug'." replied Jounouchi with a frown. "I even bought you the best kind."

Yugi blinked as he found a bag of chocolate kisses shoved into his hands.

"The best kisses are always in the variety pack. Sure, chocolate by itself is good, but when you add in the white and the cherry kinds and the..."

It shocked him to realize it, but Yugi knew that if he didn't get out of there right away, he was going to start crying.

Honda and Jounouchi were still staring a minute later.

"Yugi?" they said, wondering what had caused their small friend to take off like that.

"Don't you two get it?" snapped Anzu, as she stepped in front of the boys, blue eyes flashing dangerously.

"Get what?" asked Jounouchi, head tilted to the side like a confused puppy.

Sighing, Anzu ran a hand through her short, brown hair.

"It only hurts when you give him stuff like that. You may see it as something nice, but Yugi..."

She sighed, eyes clouding over. "He must be so lonely. Year after year, even you two idiots get something, but all Yugi has is an empty locker and an even emptier heart."

"Wait, he has the spirit of the puzzle right?" suggested Honda with a hopeful grin.

"Yeah, he does." added Jounouchi. "Hey, you think the pharaoh is gay?"

Anzu just groaned.

"Do you two even know what you are saying?!"

"No, not really, but while we're on the subject..."

Jounouchi grinned, a mischievous look on his face.

"No, we're not finding out if the pharaoh is gay." muttered Anzu, a hand over her face in disgust.

"You just don't want to face the fact that he's not interested in you." said Honda. "Besides, we should at least see if Yugi made it home all right."

"Yeah, you're right, but no harassing the pharaoh. Understood?"

"Yes, mom." chimed Jounouchi and Honda in perfect unison.

"Why do I put up with you guys?"

"Because we're all you've got." replied Jounouchi. "Now let's go."

Yugi forced himself through the kitchen door and into the nearest chair, not even bothering to remove his sneakers.

The bag of sweets Jounouchi had given him was lying next to the boy's backpack, all but forgotten.

"Yugi?" asked a voice as he felt a hand upon his back. "Are you alright?"

"Does it look like I'm alright?"

"Why does no one care, mom?" he sobbed, not even bothering to stop the tears. "I'm nice, aren't I? Why should I have to watch and wait while everyone else finds that special someone?"

"Sweetie, high school love doesn't last forever. Those relationships won't make it past the first day of college."

"That wasn't the point! I'm tired of being alone. I, I really don't want to be alone."

"You could talk to Yami about it. He always seems willing to help."

"Mom! Weren't you listening this morning?! Yami does not want to talk to me or anybody!"

"Aibou, you shouldn't shout at your mother. Its not nice."

"Yami?!" gasped Yugi, turning to see the slightly dazed spirit watching him from a shadowy corner. "Where the hell have you been?!"

"Sleeping. You woke me up, actually."

Yugi just scowled.

"Is that all you have to say to me?"

"Sweetie, settle down." warned the boy's mom, resting a hand on his shaking shoulders.

"No! Here I am crying my eyes out and, and..."

Yugi wiped away a tear as he shot Yami an angry look. "You act like you don't even care! I'd understand if you were getting sick or something, but..."

"Well, he does look a little pale."

"Mom, Yami is always like that. You can see right through the guy."

"I'm guessing this Valentine's day didn't go as planned?"

"What was your first clue?" muttered Yugi, kicking off his sneakers and watching them fall to the floor. "I mean, its one thing not to get a gift, but another to have your best friends buy one for you. Every single year..."

"I see."

"No, I really think you don't. You don't see anything."

"Aibou..."

"Here! You take the stinkin' candy! I'm going to bed!"

Yami watched as a colorful plastic bag was tossed in his direction, Yugi running in the other.

The sounds of feet stomping up the stairs could soon be heard, promptly followed by a door slamming.

"He gets this way every year." said Yugi's mom, sighing as she kneeled down to pick up her son's shoes. "I was hoping that since you were here..."

She shot the spirit a not so subtle glance. "Yugi wouldn't be so lonely this time, but I guess I was expecting too much out of you. This is our problem anyway."

"No, I shouldn't have been making him worry." replied Yami, stepping out from the shadows to lend a hand.

Yami was tossing his aibou's backpack into the closet when he caught Yugi's mom eyeing him curiously.

"I mentioned he woke me up, correct?"

"Yes, but the way Yugi talks about you, I didn't expect someone so..."

Yami couldn't help but chuckle as he watched the woman's gaze lower from his face, lingering only for a moment at his chest before returning.

"Sleeping in jeans isn't exactly comfortable for me, though I usually change before going out in public."

"Yugi mentioned once that you were a pharaoh in Egypt and from the way you act, I believe it. You may not know this, but he really looks up to you; almost like an older brother."

"As a brother." repeated the spirit to himself. "I should have expected that."

"You mean, you didn't know?"

Yami was about to reply when his attention was attracted by the sounds of footsteps outside.

"Hey, Yug'! You home!?" shouted Jounouchi as he barged into the kitchen, Honda and Anzu behind him.

"Jounouchi!" hissed the girl. "You don't go storming into other people's houses like that."

"Yug' doesn't mind. He gets a kick out of my dramatic entrances."

"Dramatic, right". muttered Anzu, shaking her head and sighing. "As dramatic as a bull in a china store."

Jounouchi wasn't even listening; he had spotted the spiky haired figure on the other side of the room and promptly darted over to say hello.

"Hey, Yug'. I got kind of worried when you ran off so; wow...nice duds. Christmas come early this year?"

"Um, Jounouchi..." started Anzu. "That's not Yugi."

"Sure its Yugi. See the, wait..."

Jounouchi frowned, mind deep in concentration as he examined his friend. "You're right. Yugi doesn't wear anything even remotely bold, let alone sexy. Yami on the other hand; that guy is just begging to get laid. Sucks he's just a spirit, cause I know some real cute girls at school who'd..."

"Please, just stop talking." muttered Yami, trying his best to keep his composure.

"Sure thing, Yug', or whoever you are."

"You have such a one track mind." groaned Anzu. "Jounouchi, that person in front of you is Yami. Remember him?"

"Seriously?!" cried Jounouchi, taking a step away from the spirit. "Damn. Somebody has expensive tastes. Are those silk?!"

Yami didn't know whether to punch Jounouchi or run away screaming, so he just stood there, silently pleading the gods for assistance.

"Awkward." said Honda, his tone almost sing-song.

"I'll sure say." added Jounouchi. "You've been holding out on us; after all we've done to make you feel welcome too."

"Welcome? Yeah right. More like downright embarrassing."

"You want my shirt?" asked Yami, making sure his voice held a sharp tone. "Or would you rather have my pants?"

"Hey, I'm not going to steal your clothes, man. I was just shocked. Here we were thinking you had nothing and..."

"Nothing is such a loose term. I have things; not much, but I do own more then what I'm wearing. I'm going now."

Pausing to pick up the bag of sweets Yugi had thrown at him, Yami gave the group one final glare then vanished.

"You know..." started Honda. "I think Yugi's right. Something is bugging the pharaoh."

Upstairs, Yami had reappeared in Yugi's room, hoping to check up on the boy.

He found him lying on his bed, face hidden underneath his pillow,

"...At least I won't have to worry about getting anyone a gift on White day." muttered Yugi with a sigh. "Not like I actually have any extra money."

"White day?" asked Yami from where he was standing at the foot of the bed.

"Yeah. If you get a gift from a girl on Valentine's day then you're supposed to get them something worth three times as much a month later. At least, that's what I've heard, seeing as I never actually get anything."

"A gift." muttered Yami, eyes falling to rest upon the bag of sweets in his hands.

"Yeah. Now get the hell out of my room."

"As you wish."

Yami spent the rest of the day in his own bedroom, eyes contemplating the bag of chocolates in front of him.

Technically, Yugi had given them to him, but the spirit still wasn't sure how to respond.

"What is worth three times the amount of chocolate?" he mused. "I don't have much to offer him as it is. Still..."

The spirit's eyes softened as he heard the sound of far off crying.

"Poor Aibou. I have to do something for him. I'll learn more about this White day, give him a gift and then..."

Yami sighed. "And then what? Profess my undying love for the boy and hope he doesn't hate me? Yugi thinks of me as a brother for Ra's sake. I don't want to turn that into something he doesn't agree to."

"Then what am I going to do? Well, I've got a month to decide; I'll think of something, I hope."

Well, that wraps up chapter four. I hope everyone enjoyed it. Maybe even learned a thing or two? If you want to learn more about White Day, I suggest going to Wikipedia, because that was where I first learned about it. Who says Fanfiction doesn't teach you anything? (laughs) ...Now review! (points to the button thing)