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Jounouchi snickered at his own joke, appreciating it twice as much when Yugi failed to see the humor in it. He'd meant it mostly just to tease the other, not delving much deeper than that. If he truly thought about it, though; it would seem that the two were definitely involved with each other. Except, neither seemed to be aware of it.

"Ah, come off it, Yuug," he said, waving his hand. "I mean… have ya ever taken the time to really sort it out for yourself?"

Yugi rolled his eyes, but didn't say anything as he thought about it. It was true that he held everything Atem said to a higher degree than everyone else. Equal to his grandfather, really; but he'd be lying if he said his relationship with Atem was never intense. Atem's presence seldom meant for normal days. It wasn't that he was complaining about it—he missed those adventurous days. He didn't miss the life-threatening parts of it, but definitely the spirit's company. He could never understand why so many people harbored a grudge against a man they'd never met. It seemed selfish. Then again… I haven't exactly been the most selfless person around here…

Jounouchi had remained quiet, tending to the soup he was making. He turned the knob down to reduce the heat and took a seat at the table next to Yugi. He propped an arm up and placed his chin in his open palm, looking at the table with a small smile. Even if he had no intentions of interrogating his friend, he still wanted the other to open up to him. He brought his eyes up to meet Yugi's. "Hi."

Yugi gave a short laugh. "Hi."

"Has anyone ever told ya you're a pain in the ass?" the blonde asked.

"Yeah, actually. I'm getting used to it."

"Good." Jounouchi nodded. "Because you are. Makin' me stay up late and shit to talk ta ya."

Yugi's mouth twisted, but Jounouchi's smile made him to stop and smile in return. "Please. I just wanted to go to bed. You're the one who decided to make dinner at a stupid time." His words were snarky, but the way he said them was playful, albeit quiet.

"You've changed a lot, Yuug," Jounouchi said quietly. His smile hadn't wavered off his face, though it was more sad than happy. "You're not exactly the same guy you were before. Which is okay, I guess. I mean… ya can't stay the same forever. Change is bound to happen." He shrugged mostly to himself. "Answer this for me, though. When you're around Atem, how do ya feel?"

Yugi took a moment to think about it. He felt so conflicted about what Atem did to him. "Before he left, I was… so reliant on him. I depended on him to back me up in everything I did. Facing him in that duel was one of the hardest things I'd ever had to do. I was happy for him when he finally got to rest, but… I felt like I was breaking in half. Losing him was hard enough. And then, to lose grandpa… That was too much. Atem coming back as a spirit was just painful. It feels like I'm breaking into pieces every time he comes around me because he's not really here. Like a ghost that doesn't know how to say goodbye because he's too selfish to let them move on. But then… I haven't exactly moved on myself. Him being around just made it harder. And I wanna move on and stand on my own, but he makes it hard when he contradicts himself." He shook his head.

"How do ya feel about 'im, though?" Jounouchi fixed his posture, resting both arms on the table before looking at Yugi with a serious expression. "It's obvious ya mean a lot to him."

A blush began forming on Yugi's face, but he decided to ignore it. "He's like a brother, I guess."

"You guess?" the blonde echoes. "C'mon, Yuug. Did you only say that just to answer me so you could get it over with?"

Yugi scoffed at this. "I've never really taken the time to think about it and I'm being totally honest about this. Maybe I am 'Atem-sexual'—as you put it—but I don't think what I'm feeling is exactly love, either. I respect him a lot as a person. That's about it."

Jounouchi seemed dissatisfied with the answer, but he doesn't push. At this point, he figured it would be best to let Yugi have some time to really think about how he felt towards the spirit. Whatever he felt, it couldn't be one-sided. Jounouchi was positive of that. He removed himself from his seat to check on the soup, stirring it, then comes back to his seat to talk with Yugi more. "So I gotta 'nother question for ya. Have you pictured what your life would be like with Atem back in it?"

Yugi looked at Jounouchi with a wide-eyed expression. "You mean… with him just being Atem and not the spirit of the Pharaoh?"

Jounouchi nodded in his head in confirmation.

He shrugged in response. "Honestly, I'm not sure. I'm not doing good at thinking far ahead into the future. I guess maybe because I feel like taking it day by day seems to be stressful enough. There's no guarantee about the future. Why map it all out when I could get hit by a passing vehicle on my way to work in the next couple days?"

"But do ya really want to go through life blind as fuck?" the blonde snapped. "It's true: nothin' in life is guaranteed. Except for technology evolvin'. What're ya goin' ta school for? If you've got no ulterior motive for goin', why waste your time? Didja want to do anything besides ownin' your gramps' game store?"

Yugi pursed his lips, knowing Jounouchi wouldn't be happy with his answer. "School was just a distraction. That's all it was."

Brown eyes went wide, a mixture of anger and shock swelling in them. But he kept his mouth shut and waited for Yugi to finish explaining.

"After losing Atem and graduating high school, I needed something to keep my mind off him. I did so well in school that the scholarships pretty much paid for my full tuition, provided I didn't get stingy and look for room and board. I could go up to my Bachelor's, if I wanted, but I'm just going for my Associate's. Getting ownership of my grandfather's shop wasn't so much about distraction as it was not wanting it to go to someone else… I couldn't bear it if it had been given a new name under a different company."

Jounouchi looked down at his hands, unable to look at Yugi. He sighed. "What will you do when you graduate, though? Will you ever take what you've learned and apply it anywhere?"

Yugi gave Jounouchi a genuinely innocent expression that seemed lost. "Well, it's not like the time I spend in college is going to be an absolute waste. I said it was a distraction, and it was. But you remember what I'm going for, right?"

"Graphic arts and business management?"

Yugi nodded. "Yeah. Business management makes sense, considering I own a game shop. I'll admit I'm not the most organized about my register. Honda knows firsthand how terrible I am at dealing with costs. And I figure the knowledge I gain from graphic arts will help me design my own flyers using a computer. I can spruce up the hosting site I'm using for the shop and make it look that much better. It's not the best right now. I could also send in character designs to Kaiba for future monsters. Or revamped versions."

There was a moment of silence between them. Yugi was unsure of what to say next and Jounouchi was trying to rack his brain for a way to help Yugi.

"Are you just trying to make conversation with me to keep me from hiding in my room?" Yugi suddenly asked, slight accusation in his voice.

Jounouchi gave a dirty look. "Little bit, yeah." He snickered when Yugi rolled his eyes.

"Well, I came down here on my own," he assured. "I didn't want to be up there after what Atem said to me. Just left it feeling cold in my room. At least I know you'll still have my back."

The blonde beamed at the words. "Ya got that right. I'll still shove a reality check in your face from time to time, but I won't ditch ya."

Yugi smiled at that, but quickly lost it. "So why did Atem leave?" It was more spoken to himself than Jounouchi, but he had a feeling the other could probably come up with a reply that Yugi could agree with.

"Well… he's probably taking this as hard as you are," he replied. "I imagine, more than anythin', that he wants ta come back and be around ya again. An' I think him chewin' you out like he did was just his way of gettin' ya to open your eyes. He had ta invoke his inner Pharaoh again."

Yugi's expression was one of disbelief. "Really? Because that was like he was talking down to someone. Some lowly peasant thief trying to do something huge and being put in his place again. Minus the execution."

"Can't say I blame 'im," Jounouchi agreed with a nod. When Yugi gave him an angry expression, he simply smiled. "Little nudges ain't doin' anything for ya, Yuug. I mean… look what I've tried doin' for ya, and ya still couldn't come to me. Pussy-footin' around ya isn't doin' shit. If I had heard what Atem had said, I'm sure it was probably way harsher than it needed ta be, but I bet it opened your eyes some."

Yugi looked down at the table, saddened that he wanted Jounouchi to paraphrase what the spirit had said to him before leaving. Thinking about it now with a calmer state of mind, Atem wasn't exactly wrong. Harsh, but not wrong… "He said I was… a waste of time."

Jounouchi frowned. "He didn't mean it."

The other whipped his head up to glare angrily at Jounouchi. "You weren't on the receiving end of the chewing of the ass, now were you? He's never been harsh with anyone but his opponents. I'm not his opponent."

"I'm tellin' ya, Yuug. He didn't mean it. You've been so self-absorbed that ya can't see straight." He extended his hands out to Yugi as emphasis, his expression serious but also determined. "He wouldn't give up on ya, and you know it. I just think maybe he was just tired of ya being so mean. I mean, I love ya, dude, but you've been so bitter. Kinda puts everyone else on edge just to be around ya."

Again, Yugi was put in a position where he would have to make amends for his poor behavior. It wasn't a pretty place to be, he realized. He'd gone from everyone feeling sorry for him and wanting to help him, to having to make up for everything wrong that he was doing. In the end, he supposed he was grateful that Jounouchi was sticking by him. "Yeah. You think Honda will stop talking to me too?"

Jounouchi was genuinely confused. "Eh? Nah. He's just worried in his own way. He wouldn't walk away from ya. He won't quit ya. I promise. He's my best bud. He's just got this one-track mind when it comes ta things."

Yugi smirked. "Sounds a lot like you, honestly."

"What's that?" Jounouchi gave a mock angry look, but it quickly faltered into a smile. "Yeah, I guess so."

"On a serious note, though…"

"Hm?"

"Even if we call the local Listening Ear, there's no guarantee that they'll have any openings available so soon," Yugi explained. "They could be booked into the next month."

Jounouchi didn't see the same issue Yugi did, however. "They have a hotline, Yuug. Even if they can't get ya into the office to talk, you could still call the hotline."

Yugi shook his head. "It's too awkward on the phone. I'd rather be face-to-face with someone when I talk to them about stuff like this. Even if they're judging me, they're good at keeping their expressions even."

"Well… even if they are judgin' ya, they won't act like it when you're talkin' to 'em." He stood up from the chair to check on the pot again, giving it another stir. Once turned around, he planted both hands on the back of the chair and leaned forward slightly. "If you're a real schmuck, they won't let ya know to your face."

Yugi rolled his eyes. "Well, that's comforting…"

"I'm teasin' you," Jounouchi assured. He walked to the side of the chair before sitting back down again, and looked at his friend. "Maybe there's a couple that don't really wanna do their jobs an' probably are judgin' everything you say. But most of 'em don't. They really are there to help. An' I think havin' an outside perspective will make things a little clearer for ya. I'll always be there for ya, but there's only so much I can do for ya."

"I know." Yugi felt a little guilty for putting his friends through all of this. He hadn't meant to drag anyone down with him, but he supposed that was just how things went when your friends stuck by you through every ordeal, big or small. He'd never be able to express enough gratitude for them.

After a beat of silence, Jounouchi spoke. "Well… I turned the burner down to simmer so it could cook long and slow. How's about some TV?"

Although taken aback slightly by the blonde's sudden change in topics, Yugi was appreciative of it. He was tired of talking about Atem, his depression, and the poor decisions he'd made within the last couple of weeks. He offered a small smile and stood up, pushed his chair in and followed his roommate into the living room. He took his usual seat on the green sofa and Jounouchi sat in his recliner.

Jounouchi typically kept the remote on the table next to his chair because he was more fond of using the television than Yugi was. Yugi was more inclined to read, if the bookshelf full of books in his bedroom was any indication. He had no qualms about Jounouchi having control over what they were going to watch. However, as Jounouchi flipped through the channels, Yugi found himself looking to the top of the entertainment center. His eyes went a little wider as he realized he'd never fixed Atem's photo. It was still face down. That guilt that he felt before came back even stronger. It left him feeling winded.

Atem couldn't have failed to see that... he thought. He lowered his eyes and looked at a spot on the floor. Maybe that was the last straw. Maybe that's what really made him break. I didn't help matters any by being so selfish, but… I forgot about his photo. I never fixed it. He looked back to where the picture frame was still lying down. He wanted to fix it, but he didn't want to get up and stand in Jounouchi's way. He didn't understand why he felt so clueless as he turned his attention to the blonde, but he could just imagine how pitiful his face looked at that present moment.

Jounouchi was concerned, but confused. "Yuug, what's wrong?"

"Atem's picture," came the response. "I forgot. I flipped it down and never fixed it…"

"So fix it."

The response was simple enough, spoken evenly and quietly, like the answer was so straightforward. Sometimes Yugi had to wonder how Jounouchi managed to stay so confident in himself. He wondered where his confidence went to. He felt like a much bitter version of his former shell—all talk and meekness, but with more asshole than nice guy. Still, he felt his legs move to stand him up and he made his way for the entertainment center. It wasn't very far away at all, but those few steps to it felt like miles. It was just a photograph, but Atem wasn't dumb. He'd probably seen it on one of those days that he wasn't following Yugi around and it probably stung more than he had let on.

His hand touched the frame and he could feel instantly where the crack was that he left it. He considered the idea of getting a new frame for the photo, since the others were in better condition, but maybe the simple act of correcting the frame would be a start to a much needed apology to the spirit. He positioned it back into its proper position. The photo was still the same—Atem smiling thanks to Yugi's antics—but the memory seemed so far away now. He let out a breath he'd been holding and quickly took his seat on his sofa. He didn't see the smile on Jounouchi's face because he was more focused on looking at the photo.

The soup took a couple more hours to fully cook and the two men watched television in silence. They hadn't even bothered to sit at the table when it was finished, opting instead to grab tablecloths and holding their bowls as they sat in the living room to watch whatever decent programs were being aired. Nothing seemed particularly interesting to Yugi—only the photo of Atem. He had to come up with a way to make it up to Atem, but it would have to wait for a little bit. Jounouchi was adamant about him seeing someone to help him, and he wasn't going to be at work tomorrow. He had to figure as much when it was nearing on midnight and Jounouchi was busy eating his third bowl of soup, forcing Yugi to eat a second one, since the soup was made specifically for him. He wouldn't complain, though.

When the clock changed to three in the morning and the pot was completely empty of its contents, Yugi was starting to pass out on the sofa. There was nothing but infomercials at this point and Yugi dreaded the idea of Jounouchi actually renting a porno. Was insistent that Jounouchi didn't do that. The blonde had argued that his friend really had changed, but Yugi didn't have much to counter him. When the blonde tried asking him again, Yugi had a response for him.

"Come on, Yuug," he pleaded. "Ya would've done it in when we were in school!"

Yugi rolled his eyes. "That's because we were childish and immature. You still drool over side boob. Remember when that guy stopped by you and all you saw was his side? You didn't even realize it was a guy and you got so excited." He laughed when Jounouchi's face turned red.

"Shuddup," the blonde snapped, trying to cover his embarrassment. "The dude was effeminate. He had long hair and a pretty top on. I couldn't help but notice!"

"Aw, come on," Yugi said, pitying his friend with a teasing tone. "Mai would appreciate the humor in this. She couldn't possibly get jealous that you were checking out another guy."

"Dude! How could you not think it was a women? He had fuckin' tits and wore a revealing shirt." He felt like his face was getting redder, but he wasn't going to crack. "There's nothin' wrong with noticin'. It's not like I was gonna take 'im home or anythin'."

"So you appreciate pretty guys?"

Jounouchi scoffed. "I'm secure in mah sexuality. How about that. He was tryin' ta be a woman and he was doin' a fine job at it. His efforts didn't go unnoticed." He shook his head at his own words, felt his face grow even hotter. "Damn it, Yuug."

Yugi laughed in response. It was so genuine and honest, it almost surprised him. He didn't think he was even capable of laughing an honest laugh anymore. He was so miserably depressing around others. His relationship with Atem was so "doom and gloom" that it took everything in him just to maintain his other daily tasks—showering, eating, communicating. Simple things that should come firsthand, but didn't. He felt like he should be wallowing over Atem's parting words, but he wasn't. He was sitting in the living room at three in the morning, watching infomercials with his best friend and enjoying himself. This was needed, he thought. It felt like a true first step to getting better, knew it was going to take much more than this, but this was the happiest he felt in a long time. And I didn't need Atem to make it happen.