When he had awoken the next morning, Yugi would never be able to remember that he had dreamed about in the night. All he knew was that he'd opened his eyes to find his hand stretched out, reaching for the other side of his bed that was strangely cold and empty.

And then after much of the day had gone by, when the sun was beginning to lower ever closer to the horizon, Yugi found himself standing in front of a closed door, and he wondered if it would even open for him if he knocked. Eventually, he gathered his courage and did tap his knuckles on the door. Then he waited, arms crossed. He had made his choice, and he only hoped Atem was willing. For so long, Yugi had based his life on his Counter, waiting for the unknown One to come into his life. And then he met the man who seemed to change everything.

Yami Sennen, the man who made such a horrible impression upon their first meeting. Who had flubbed his joke into an insult, meaning it to be a flirt. Who had been at the right place at the right time. Who had told his roommates that he thought Yugi was out of his league. Who danced like a wild man, who argued about the nature of love. Who had spent his time trying to win Yugi over to his side, not pushing once. Who had lied to Yugi for so long, but never with bad intentions.

And this time, Yugi knew exactly what he was doing, exactly what he was getting himself into. Atem had the power to hurt him, but Atem never meant to hurt him, didn't want to hurt him, and had been more than willing to apologize when he did. And maybe it had taken Yugi a long time to realize that the Counter didn't matter, but now he had and he was going to take a risk and put the decision in Atem's hands because being with Atem had made him happy - happier than Yugi had been in a long time. And he didn't know for sure, maybe he would never know for sure, but he thought that maybe he made Atem happy, too. And he wanted to keep doing that, as long as it was in his power. He wanted to spend time with him properly, take him home to meet his parents and eat dinner with him and just be together. Even after everything that had happened, he wanted it still.

He was choosing to try and make it work, choosing to fight for it because he knew in his heart that it could be worth it and Yugi could never forgive himself, could never live a life fulfilled, if he didn't at least try.

The door swung open after a long moment, and there awaiting him stood Atem. Yugi's heart twisted when he saw how tired Atem looked, how sad. He was still as beautiful as ever, but Atem being sad had never been Yugi's intention and it hurt to see.

"Hey." Yugi said. Atem stood in the doorway for a full minute before sighing and opening the door the ret of the way, silently inviting Yugi into the house. He walked into the kitchen and Yugi followed, shutting the door behind him as he recognized the scent of bacon. Atem stood at the stove, where it seemed that he was preparing to make some hard boiled eggs.

Yugi glanced around quickly as he leaned against the table, arms still crossed. "Where are the others?"

"They had a gig in the city over."

"You didn't go?"

"Well...I had a party to attend last night." Atem replied begrudgingly; so they were just going to jump right into it, then. Yugi could handle that.

"Atem." He said, pushing away from the table, daring to take a few steps closer to the other man. "Fuck the Counter."

"Isn't it a little late for that?"

"Seriously. I don't care about it anymore. It says I'm supposed to walk off into the sunset with a stranger. I don't accept that."

"You don't want to because you're freaking out." Atem flipped his bacon. "You spent so long believing that one day it would happen, it would happen - and then nothing happened and you were fine with that. You were sad, yeah, but you were fine because it meant that you were safe. And now you have what you wanted, what you've been waiting for - and you just don't know how to process that." As he spoke, his shoulders drew closer to his ears. "It's fine. I understand."

"But I don't have what I want." Yugi snapped, shoving his wrist under Atem's nose, ignoring the splattering of the bacon that burned. Atem's eyes widened when he saw the bandage on Yugi's wrist where the Counter used to be. "I know what you're thinking," Yugi continued, not taking his eyes from Atem's face. "That this is a moot point, because I already zeroed out and met my supposed Fated Match - and you think it's too late..."

"I do." Atem's gaze hardened and he tore his eyes away from Yugi's wrist, though when he moved Yugi's arm away from the popping bacon, the touch was gentle. "It is rather pointless now..."

"Not to me." Yugi promised, twisting so his fingers were brushing Atem's palm. "It can't be too late. You don't believe in the Counter."

"No, Yugi. I don't think it should exist, but I do know that it works."

"But, I—"

"In a year from now, do you still see us together?"

Yugi's jaw worked soundlessly, trying to sort his thoughts.
"A lot can happen in a year, but I like to think we're still together."

"See, for me the answer is yes. Of course, without a single doubt, yes we are together."

"But my uncertainty isn't just because of the Counter—"

"I know that." Atem said, and his voice broke. "It's because you're not really in love with me."

"I am in love with you." Yugi replied instantly, shaking his head.

"You've never actually been in love, have you?" Atem asked, and in Yugi's silence he found the answer. "You don't know what it is - what it really feels like. Because you don't feel it for me."

"But...I was so sure I loved you." Yugi replied, confused. "I want to be with you. You make me happy. I have fun with you."

"But that's not only what love is made up of."

"I've already ruined it, haven't I?"

"Maybe."

"There's no hope? None at all?" Yugi didn't care that he was almost begging. "Nothing I can say or do to make you stay with me anyway?"

"Probably not."

"How are you being so calm about this?" Yugi felt his eyes growing uncomfortably dry, but he didn't want to risk blinking and crying. He wasn't going to make Atem feel worse. He wasn't going to make Atem change. "This is all my fault and how can you be so understanding?"

"Look, you broke my fucking heart, Yugi." He said, fingers gripping tight against Yugi's, voice rough. "But it's not like you did it on purpose so I'm trying to be a man about it, alright?"

"It was so much easier when you had a Counter..." Yugi whispered, daring to look at Atem's pained face.

"Because you didn't have to pretend we were something we weren't."

"No, because I stopped sweating over the future like you told me to. And that was only when I was with you, and I loved it."

"Can I tell you something?"

"Anything."

"I almost got a Counter. That night, after you found out that I didn't have one. I even dreamed that it zeroed out and went off when I saw you again and I was so happy—" He broke off, holding back what sounded like a sob. "I thought maybe, just maybe, if this is how strongly I felt for you, that maybe we were soulmates. That there was a deeper meaning of us meeting and being...whatever we were."

And now, Yugi did cry. He let his tears run over his cheeks, let his breaths come out uneven. "When my Counter came to life and started counting down, I thought it was you." He admitted. "I thought you had gotten one. And I was so excited - I was so ready to have proof that we were meant to be more. And then when I came in the door of Jou's party I wondered if somehow you were going to be there and it was going to beep at me, but I didn't see you and as soon as I meet eyes with Anzu...and I'm sorry, Atem." He wiped his nose on his sleeve. "I'm sorry I hurt you like this. I really thought that we could forget it all and just be us."

Warm arms came around Yugi, holding him tight. And when Yugi felt the shaking, he knew Atem was crying too. His breath was loud against Yugi's ear, his hair brushing soft against his face. And then they were parting, mouths instantly finding each other with a strange gentleness that was a contrast to how wrecked Yugi's insides felt. Atem held his face securely in place, as if the moment he let go Yugi would vanish into mist, like he just wasn't quite ready for that moment. Kissing Atem was like drinking cool water straight from a stream, and Yugi wanted to drown. Bury all of his worries and hopes and his entire future and just exist with Atem in that moment forever. But in reality, all he could do was press his lips to Atem's over and over, whispering his apologies between each one, hoping one day Atem could forgive him and move on.

"Will there be a scar?" Atem wondered, fingers moving down to press against the bandage on Yugi's wrist, and Yugi gave a watery chuckle.

"Yes." He pulled back from Atem enough so they could see eye-to-eye. "You've scarred me."

"In a good way?"

"In the best way." He leaned over and kissed Atem again, but this was the last time. He softened his lips, trying to make Atem understand exactly how much he wished things could've been different. Then he rested his head on Atem's shoulder, unable to let go just yet. Atem lowered his face, nose skimming over Yugi's shoulder, inhaling deeply.

"I'm glad you don't care about the Counter anymore." He said. "This way you'll be absolutely sure...about her."

On instinct, Yugi opened his mouth to tell Atem that he was wrong, that there was no way he'd ever be interested in Anzu. But he couldn't do that when there was no proof that it wasn't a lie. Words failed him, because he couldn't honestly say the things he wanted. So, instead, he tried to remember the moment. He had no dazzling lines, no gentle goodbyes...no quick wit to offer. After everything, after all they'd been, he had nothing. Nothing but a strange, yawning void in his gut. The bitterness of finishing a chapter and beginning a new one.

So Yugi just shut his mouth and nodded, pulling away from Atem, ignoring how the other's face crumpled as soon as they were apart. Without another word, Yugi left the kitchen and he didn't look back when he heard a choked sob and Atem didn't call after him either.

Monday morning, Yugi lay curled in his bed, sleeping. Something soft brushed his nose, and then there was a tap. He frowned, and the tap happened again, then kept going in a quick pace tap tap tap tap tap. With a groan, he swiped at the offender, opening his eyes to see his brother lying next to him.

"It's 8:47 in the morning. I thought maybe you were dead." Jou said, serious. Yugi smiled, his chest flooding with warmth at the sight of his brother.

"Welcome home."

Jou shoved a pillow over Yugi's head.
"I'm home."

The sun was higher during Yugi's run around the University's track than it usually was since he'd slept in. The weather was also warmer now that it would have been at six in the morning, the usual time Yugi went for a run. He found himself having to forgo his jacket for once. Suddenly, four people ran past Yugi, all of them dressed in the same matching dark blue and grey sweats. Yugi slowed down to a jog, watching them speed ahead and around the corner.

"They're fast, huh?" Someone asked, coming up to jog next to him, and Yugi looked over to see Anzu.

"Yeah."

"That's part of the University's relay team." She explained, eyes also tracking the group. "I had matching sweats made for them, and now it's like they never take them off." She smiled. "So what brings you to the track? I never saw you here before."

"Well, usually I run from six to six-thirty, but I got a late start this morning." Yugi huffed, wiping sweat from his brow. "Hey, listen...I'm sorry I was so rude to you the other night."

"It's okay." She shrugged. "Jou's told me enough that I know you've had...things going on."

"Yeah...you could say that." Yugi reached up to scratch the back of his neck, sheepish. He saw Anzu staring at his bandaged wrist, and he quickly lowered his arm. "Oh! That. Please don't take it personally."

"No, it's fine." Her ponytail bobbed as they ran. "I'm just...really glad to see that you're alright. When my Counter suddenly went blank the day after the party, I was afraid you got hit by a bus or something."

Yugi stumbled to a stop, eyes widening.
"Oh, my God. I am so stupid. I didn't even think about—"

"No, it's okay. Really." She stopped jogging, walking back to him. "Um, but - I should get back to the relay team..."

"Oh, yeah. No problem." Yugi nodded. "I'm about finished with my run, anyway."

"It was good to see you again." She backed up, and then paused. "Um, maybe you should get a late start more often, Yugi. It would be nice to have a running partner."

"Uh, yeah." Yugi replied, blinking in surprise. Anzu gave him a little wave before running ahead, eyes set on the retreating backs of the group.

Yugi watched her for go a moment, thinking, before he turned and started running in the opposite direction, back to the bleachers where his bag and jacket waited - knowing that some things just took time. And that was okay.

I took forever to finish this story - I'm sorry. I hope you enjoyed the story, nonetheless (even though I decided to mess you up with angst.) Please review!