Thanks to Blue September for editing the chapter, you're amazing :)

I don't own YGO

Bold font is the chat between Yami and Kaiba

Chapter 10

"Finally, you came back to your senses and decided to talk to me."

"Why haven't you said anything to me in the past three hours? I was on-line," Yami asked impatiently.

"No you weren't," Kaiba retorted, which doubled Yami's confusion.

"How the hell do you know?"

"Know what?"

"Whether it was me or not?"

"Oh, that. Why do I have to answer?"

"Because..." Yami typed, not knowing what to add. He paused searching for an answer, but another message came from Kaiba.

"Or do you just want to talk to me."

"In your dreams!" Yami hissed, already annoyed by Kaiba's tone. "Why would I want such a thing?"

"What are we doing now?"

Yami rolled his eyes. "Do you think that I'm talking to you because I want to ... forget it."

"Then why?" Kaiba asked.

"I want answers," Yami said truthfully.

"Oh God! Here we go again! And I should give them because?"

"I don't really have a strong reason, but I need to know."

"Not very convincing," Kaiba commented. "So what is it?"

"How did you know whether it was me or Joey behind the computer?"

"Is that all? Look, I'm not psychic or anything. I just figured you wouldn't stay online for three hours without talking to me, so it must have been Joey behind the computer or at least someone else."

"What about this morning?"

"What about it?"

"How did you know it was me even though I didn't talk to you?"

"Joey wouldn't be up so early. That left me with the only alternative, which is you. I told you. It was a no brainer!"

"But Joey has been waking up early for the past three days," Yami said. It was true. For the last few days, when Joey was talking with Kaiba, he was getting up early. So that didn't count.

"Regardless, old habits die hard," Kaiba answered, as if he knew that Joey would revert to his former self, once it was over with them.

"Okay." Yami couldn't find anything else to say. So Kaiba wasn't using some high-tech method to spy on him. He was just connecting the dots. How clever.

"Okay?"Kaiba asked. "Is that it?"

"No." Yami had thought of his second question. "Why are you using an online dating service?"

"Why don't you save that question for when we meet?"

The college boy snorted with disapproval. "Who told you we'd be meeting?"

"Then that question will never be answered, and I know how curious a person you are."

"Then you don't know me at all, apparently," Yami wrote back, challengingly.

"By the way, I had a dream about you last night," Kaiba said all of a sudden.

Yami's eyes widened, that was strange. He wanted more details though, he wrote quickly, "Really?"

"No. I just wanted to prove to you how curious you are."

Yami bristled, but despite his feelings he was thankful that he hadn't rushed into things. He had been on the verge of asking him how he'd looked in that dream, good or what? Questions like those would only inflate Kaiba's already big ego beyond measure.

Speaking of dreams, Yami remembered the dream he had had about Kaiba. He wondered if Kaiba really had dreamt about him and was just toying with him like always. Yami wasn't in the mood for playing. It would be better if he just ended things with Kaiba, here and now, with or without the answers he craved. This was his chance to prove to Kaiba that he wouldn't let his curiosity get the best of him. So he wrote, "Actually, you took me by surprise. If you don't want to talk, that's your business, but we will never meet. As I said I'm sorry for the whole misunderstanding."

"The only one misunderstanding things here is you."

"I told you before that I'm not interested."

"Alright, as you want." Kaiba said surprisingly.

Yami had expected more resistance from him, more arguing, more of a fight. But that didn't happen. Was it because he was asking personal questions, Yami wondered. He pushed that question aside, finding himself typing in disbelief, "Okay, it's goodbye then. And Good luck."

"You too," Kaiba typed and went off line few moments after.

Yami couldn't believe it was over, sure he had badly wanted to end everything with Kaiba, but he felt a bit awkward when it happened for real. He felt like there was something missing, because it was like saying goodbye to a friend. Did he really feel a need to chat with the billionaire? Had he gotten so used to talking with him that he'd actually started liking their conversations?

And Kaiba! Why had he said 'okay' just like that? Was he expecting Yami to come crawling back, begging him to start over? Did Seto think that he knew Yami better than himself? In that case, he'd better think again, because Yami would be damned if he'd continue anything with Kaiba. Deep down, however, he wanted things he knew he shouldn't. He wished that Kaiba would break down, and finally chat with him, to show him that he wasn't alone in his feelings. He wished he hadn't been so stubborn.

Confused and annoyed with himself, he vigorously ruffled his hair. Why couldn't he stop thinking about the brunette? Wasn't this what he wanted? Or what he thought he wanted? Then why was he feeling this way?

Sighing, because he still had no answers, Yami turned the computer off and decided to lie down.

He got up and went to his room, and there, he climbed onto the bed, thinking that he would get some peace, but that didn't happen. He was restless and thoughts kept swirling in his head. Would Joey really be upset if he knew about Kaiba? His blond friend had told him that the whole thing had already been like Yami and Kaiba dating and not he and Kaiba. What would it be like to start something with Kaiba anyway? But why would he think like that? Why now, after ending everything?

Yami's mind finally relaxed enough for him drift to sleep, only to be awakened by the sounds of clicking keys on a keyboard. He assumed that Joey must have returned and now was using the computer. Yami looked at the clock over his head, and surprisingly, he had been asleep for two hours. His crimson eyes closed again, as he tried to figure things out. Apparently, Joey must have come in, while he was sleeping, seen him like that, and chose not to wake him up.

Opening his eyes again, Yami got himself up, and sat on the bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, before standing up, and walking out of his room. He was right, Joey was there, chatting, or at least that's what it looked like to Yami, who proceeded towards his friend silently. Joey, who was too enthralled with his typing, didn't feel Yami's presence. "Ah! where have all the guys had gone?" he grumbled. "Why I can't find someone to talk to?"

Hearing that, Yami's eyes grew wide, and he glanced carefully at his best friend. He decided to pretend to hear nothing, as he took a few steps back to his room with the same quietness. From his room he called, "Joey? Is that you?"

"Umm… yes, here Yami! In the living room," came Joey's answer.

"Oh Joe! I thought I heard something," Yami said, feigning ignorance, walking out of his room again. "When did you come back?"

"About an hour ago! Sorry, did I wake you up?" Joey asked, glancing at the other quickly, before returning to his screen.

Yami shook his head, sitting on the nearest couch. "No, though I should have gotten up earlier. I have a pile of assignments to do."

"Forget about'em. You need a rest," Joey advised. He abandoned the computer, swiveling around in his chair, and giving Yami his full attention.

"I can't." Yami sighed deeply. "Rest just isn't for me."

"Man! You work too hard. I brought pizza for you. It's in the kitchen."

"Thanks Joe, but this is life after all. No pain no gain," Yami replied, shrugging in a casual manner. "What about you? Has anything happened to you recently?"

"Other than talking with Ron, no," Joey answered.

"What?" Yami wondered to himself in disbelief. Hadn't Joey just been complaining about not being able to find anyone to talk to? And to increase his puzzlement, Joey continued, "Yeah, Ron is very attached to me. I've been chatting with him for the past hour, trying to tell him that there's no point in a relationship like this and…."

As Joey kept ranting about Ron, the truth became clear as crystal to Yami. There was no Ron. Joey had made that up to stop Yami from worrying about him. He wanted to show him that he had a life of his own, and he could build a relationship without relying on Yami's advice. And Joey had chosen to make "Ron" from another country, so that he's have an excuse if Yami ever suggested to meet him.

Joey knew that Kaiba had only kept talking to him, because Yami was there beside him, and it was all over when that help stopped. When they'd met each other on that dreadful date, his cover had been blown.

When Yami realized this, he almost wanted to cry, to say something to make Joey feel better. But he knew he couldn't. It would only hurt Joey's pride all the more, if he know that he'd been discovered.

"So I told him, 'No way,'" Joey laughed. "Can you believe that! He wanted to leave his country, job and his family just to be with me. Of course I wouldn't that happen, so I insisted, we each just stay where we are."

"What country is he from?" he asked, trying to confirm his suspicion.

"Huh... whah?" Joey sputtered.

"Where is he from? You never mentioned the name of his country."

"Umm… He didn't say," Joey said uncomfortably, not expecting such a question.

"He didn't say?" Yami asked, raising his eyebrows accusingly.

"Umm …. Yes," Joey answered, feeling a bit besieged by his friend's inquiries. He gulped nervously, and scratched his head, before continuing. "All he said is that he's not from Japan… or wait! I remember!" Joey exclaimed suddenly. "He said that he's from Italy. That's right… Italy."

"Really?" Yami found himself asking, but he already had his answer. Sadly he was right, and from the way Joey started talking about Italy after that, it was like if trying to convince Yami that he knew at least something about the country. He started to throw out the names of cities there, and what the weather was like etc.

"Okay Joey. I hope it works out with Ron, or whoever you decided to talk to next," Yami smiled warmly when his friend finished. He got up, and went to grab a slice of pizza from the kitchen.

Once there, Yami took a slice before sitting in a chair, trying to think of a way to help Joey. He finished the first piece without having gotten any ideas. Annoyed, he took another one and started chewing and thinking once again. The second slice was finished with much the same result. He took a third one, and a fourth … and a fifth… until there was no more. He groaned when he was out of food and still had no ideas. A sudden scream startled him out of his brooding.

"What the hell! Where is my lunch?"

"Oh Joey? I thought you said you brought it for me?" Yami said sheepishly.

"WHAT? Yeah, I brought it for you so we could eat it together."

"Sorry?" Yami said, unsure if it would be enough to quench Joey's anger.

"Oh," Joey sighed in defeat, there was no point arguing over it. He'd just have to buy more.

"I thought you want to talk to Ron all day!" Yami tried, still squirming, not sure if Joey will ever forgive him when it comes to food.

"Noooo, I just signed out my account to join you… for lunch!" Joey answered still somewhat disappointed. He kept looking at the empty package wishing somehow to find a small piece left. Sadly he didn't find anything.

"Account!" Yami echoed, whispering. His eyes lit up in glee when an idea popped into his mind. "Joey, I have to use the computer now."

"Wait! I want to use it …" he looked one last time at his pizza box sorrowfully, "since there's no food."

"Oh Joey! I'm sure that Ron isn't available now."

"What?"

"I-I-I I mean," Yami stuttered while trying to find a way out of his slip. "You just signed out. He must have left after you."

Yami hurriedly sat behind the computer, after convincing Joey to go out to buy more food. He went to the chat site, and clicked on the 'Create a new account' icon. He grinned slyly when he read:

"Step one: I'm a -"

Yami chose 'Man' from the options.

"Looking for a -"

Yami chose 'Man.'

He moved to the next step. "This time, there will be Ron for real."

End of chapter 10

Yes, Yami is creating an account for himself ;)

Sorry I didn't reply the reviews for chapter 9. Thank you all, I love all your supportive comments :)

Keep reviewing, chapter 11 is on the way ;)