Quatre: I don't have much time to post this. I'm sorry that this is late; however, Trig and Physics are slowly killing me and most of my time has been occupied with homework. Gomen nasai. No notes for this chapter, so we'll just head right for the fic.

Warnings and Disclaimer are the same as always.

Chapter Ten: Why you should change your sheets.

"I'm never taking Ame out for pizza," Jack said, edging slowly away from the Tok'ra.

"I do not blame you in the slightest, sir," Sam agreed fervently, as Ame somehow managed to fit two slices into his mouth at the same time.

Next to her, Jacob sighed.

"It's probably a good thing you're not coming back with us Ame. The Tok'ra do not have Pizza, something which I miss very much."

Jacob ate his own Pizza calmly.

"Dad, you hated Pizza before."

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder, you don't know what you've got 'till it's gone, and all that, Sam. That aside, I think Selmak likes it a bit as well."

Jack spoke again.

"Okay. It's not just that Ame is insane, it's probably genetic."

Ame wolfed down a few more slices, and opened his mouth to protest.

"I'm not disagreeing with the part about me being insane, but why do I have to be related to her? She's mean!"

Jacob chuckled, and finished his own slice before speaking.

"You only think she's mean because she was the one to suggest you go down that hole for a millennia or so."

Ame considered the truth to those words for a few seconds, then shook his head.

"Nah, she was mean before that too. Younger sisters. Can't live with them, can't shoot them with a Zat and have done with it. And I'm not just talking about how fast she used to move, there's still that whole nonexistent population growth thing."

Sam looked at Ame in surprise.

"That's right. How-"

"One, I'm a Tok'ra, therefore I know about it. Two, I'm not a complete idiot - several parts are missing. Three, this Pizza is excellent!"

Everyone at the table sweatdropped as Ame jumped up and returned with a full plateful. He inclined his head slightly, then pouted. "Yugi wants some, too, so I'll chat with you nice people later."

He bowed his head, and Yugi looked up and grinned. "I must admit, Ame has wonderful taste," he commented as he picked up a slice and bit into it.

"Yugi..." Sam began.

The teen held up a hand and swallowed his mouthful. "Don't. I already know what you're going to say. I can never leave the program, I can never go back to a normal life, et cetera, et cetera. I know. My life wasn't exactly normal to begin with."

Jack grinned. "Sharing your head with an ancient spirit would tend to throw a wrench into the works, yes."

"Not to mention that at least three people have tried to kill me and take my puzzle," Yugi added. "I'm no stranger to strange circumstances, Jack."

"You used the word strange in two different contexts," Ame pointed out cheerfully, materializing next to Yugi and snagging a piece of pizza."

Yugi thought back, then nodded. "Yes, it appears I did."

Yami also appeared on Yugi's other side. "I have protected my aibou from harm this far, and now that you all know of my existence, I will be able to protect him to the best of my ability."

"Aibou?" Sam repeated.

Yami blinked. "Forgive me; I didn't realize I'd used that word. I'm at least trilingual, thanks to Yugi. Aibou means partner."

"Ah." Sam nodded understanding, covering her mouth to hide a grin.

Jacob's brow wrinkled in confusion. "Am I missing something?"

"Later, Dad."

"I think I should go to see the Tok'ra High Council, though, just so they can tell me I can stay," Ame said thoughtfully.

Jacob considered that for a moment. "Yes, perhaps that would be best. They would like to know that the pharaoh has returned. What I would like to know, though, is why."

Yugi and Yami shared a look, and both shrugged in unison. "Apparently, I've already saved the world," Yami said. "I don't know what else to do."

"Saved the world?" Jack raised an eyebrow. "Do tell."

Yugi and Yami looked at each other and said simultaneously, "You do it."

Ame laughed. "How about 'rock, paper, scissors'?"

The glares he received didn't faze him at all, and he went back to munching pizza.

Yugi sighed. "We shoot on 'scissors'."

Yami lost, so he had to tell.

"Gather around, my children, and you shall hear," Ame began, snickering.

Yami glared at him for all he was worth before turning to Jack, Jacob, and Sam.

"I suppose I should begin with the history of Duel Monsters, as much of my tale revolves around the game..."

Yugi walked back into his room on base, all of his alternate personalities back where they should be, and flopped into bed with a groan.

"This day sucked," he moaned.

Then shot up again. "I forgot to call Jou! I promised him I would, and he's got to be frantic right now!"

Yami chuckled in the back of his mind. /You're exhausted, Yugi. I'm sure he'll understand if you get some sleep!/

Yugi nodded and fell forward, burying his face into the pillow.

He vaguely heard Yami and Ame talking, then Ame's presence in his mind was suddenly gone, the door opened and shut, and the bed dented as Yami appeared. He didn't protest as Yami picked him up and held him gently, just giving him something to lean against. Yugi sighed and closed his eyes, then smiled.

"You know, we never did get around to talking," Yugi said. "About how you feel about me."

Yami tensed up. He'd been hoping Yugi had forgotten, actually.

"As this is the only time we're bound to have alone for awhile, I suggest we talk," Yugi said.

There was a moment of silence. Yami released Yugi and moved away. Yugi propped up his pillows so he could lean against them.

"So?" Yugi prompted.

Yami's gaze fell to his lap. His hands began fidgeting again, and he clasped them tightly together.

"I love you," he said simply, gently. "I don't know for how long. I became aware of it during Battle City, when I thought that, several times, I was going to lose you."

Yugi nodded.

Yami looked up to see Yugi's reaction. Yugi looked puzzled, a frown pursing his lips together.

"You were truthful with me," Yugi said at length, "so you deserve to be told the truth. And that truth is, I don't know how I feel. I've always thought of you as my friend, Yami, and nothing can change that. I've just never considered liking you – liking anybody – in that way. I'll have to think on it."

Yami nodded, eyes falling to his trembling hands. He wasn't sure whether he was going to cry or not, and pharaohs did not cry. Why he was going to cry, he wasn't sure. This was unknown territory for him, as well.

Yugi abruptly glomped him. Yami let out an undignified yelp as the two of them tumbled off the bed. Yugi got up and grinned. Yami mock-glared.

"What was that for?" he demanded.

Yugi winked. "You looked like you needed it. Besides, you're not going to cry anymore, are you?"

Yami blinked and realized that Yugi was right. He laughed, a genuine, heartfelt laugh, and reached out to wrap Yugi in a hug. Yugi let him, to his relief.

The mood was spoiled when Yugi yawned. Yami let him go with a chuckle and pointed Yugi in the direction of the bed, snagging his pajamas at the same time.

"Get changed and go to sleep," Yami said. "We have a big day tomorrow."

Yugi agreed and did as he was told. Yami tucked him in and was about to go back to his soul room when Yugi grabbed his sleeve.

"I don't think I would mind if you stayed out here for the night," he said hesitantly with a blush. Yami nodded and lay on top of the covers next to Yugi. Yugi rolled his eyes and shoved Yami off the bed long enough to pull back a section of blanket. "You're going to freeze your butt off if you don't," Yugi explained.

Yami raised an eyebrow. "I didn't have a problem before."

"It'll make me feel better. Get in."

Yami chuckled and complied, turning to face away from Yugi as the boy threw the covers over him.

"Oyasumi, Yami-kun."

"Good night, Yugi."

Ame poked his head into the room and saw two lumps curled up in the bed. He slipped in and closed the door quietly, then padded over to the bed to see.

He smiled.

Yami had managed to get his arms around Yugi and was sleeping soundly, his face buried in Yugi's spikes. Yugi was facing away from Yami, but his hand had crept up to rest gently against Yami's arms.

/I may be a joker, but I'm not without scruples. I'll tell them of my escapades later... or maybe not./

With a devilish grin, Ame nodded to his "landlord" and vanished back into his soul room.

He paced down the corridor, taking the time to think.

"Yami told me how to appear outside of our body, but I fully intended to appear as a snake, as that is my true form," he mused. "Why the Set did I appear looking like Yugi? Is it because of the Puzzle? Or is there something else to it?"

He reached Yugi's door and turned back to pace towards his own.

"Those tablets Yami showed me dealt with the Millennium Items and their history, and thanks to him I can understand them," Ame continued. "Those are rather interesting. I never got to see the mural that I was placed under, as I was rather preoccupied at the time. I never dreamed that magic was real, though the legends I'd heard of the Taur'i gaining their freedom seem to support the fact. I was on the other side of the galaxy at the time," he sighed, remembering. "I was a spy in Apophis' house, and he was busy taking over one of Ra's planets during that period. So, for all I know, magic could be real."

He turned again, then stopped. "Why am I thinking about this now? I need sleep too!"

He opened the door to his soul room, kicking aside various pranks without really thinking about it, and made his way to the bedroom part of his soul room. He scowled at the green and gold bedcovers.

"I will change those before the week is out," he vowed. "Why I haven't in 10 millennia, I'll never know."

Quatre: Hope you enjoyed and please review!