WOW! Thank you guys so much for reviewing. I think that was the most reviews I've received on one chapter so far! This chapter is the longest one so I hope you guys enjoy it in all its lovely drama.

Sorry for any typos. It's five in the morning. I'll go back over it after some sleep...

Chapter Twelve: Day Six

Her books were tight across her chest as she walked, her azure eyes dull and her expression forlorn. Not for the first time did she wish that she could turn back time and undo everything that had been done. It was a dangerous path to follow, but she couldn't get rid of the feeling of losing her best friend. It was beyond terrible.

Tea sighed as the wind blew her shoulder length russet-brown hair into her face, her hand brushing it away as she stopped walking. Something caught her attention in the corner of her eye, something that made her heart slam like a hammer inside her chest...

"Yugi?" she whispered breathlessly, her eyes looking the figure up and down in disbelief.

Golden bangs were shielding his face, his back leaning against a tree and his hands buried deep in his pockets. The white t-shirt clung to what Tea knew to be a well-defined chest and his black jeans were attractively snug. She couldn't help but to chuckle at the students who were looking at him either in lust or unease.

Rather Yugi knew it or not he had become the perfect vision of a bad-boy which was amusing for those who actually knew him.

Tea walked closer, hope in her gaze until Yugi's head turned to meet her and she saw his eyes. They didn't sparkle like they used to when he looked at her, nor did he give her the bright loving smile he always had before. Instead it was like he was far away, too far away for Tea to ever reach again.

Neither of them said a word as they just looked at each other, and as Tea took in the lax posture of his body and the ease of his face she realized that he really was too far away for her to reach.

Just like the Pharaoh...

Her heart was heavy in despair but she could accept the outcome as long as Yugi promised to remain in her life. The time without him had left her feeling miserable and she would always love him no matter what.

But she had been so horrible to him...

"I'm sorry Yugi," she whispered, a tear falling down a sun-kissed cheek.

Yugi's expression softened, the beautiful amethyst tender as he moved away from the tree, his arms opening wide in comfort. Tea didn't hesitate as she nuzzled against him and the warmth that only Yugi held, tucking her heads against his neck like she had so many times before.

Before she lost the best thing that will ever be within her reach...

"No, I'm sorry Tea," Yugi whispered ever so softly, his tone truly apologetic and heavy.

Tea could have asked what he was sorry for because in her eyes she was the only one who should be sorry for anything, but for the first time she didn't want to know. She had a feeling that she knew anyway...at least some of it.

Yugi had moved on. It was time for her to do the same though she knew it was going to be a long and hard road.

"Whoever they are is very luck to have you. I hope they are smarter than I am," she whispered as she held him tighter, tears falling from her eyes in a steady stream.

Yugi's arms tightened as he sighed, making Tea look up at him in question. Now that she was close enough she could see that something about Yugi looked different. He looked raw and worn down, his gaze conflicted and his face clenched in worry. No one knew Yugi better than Tea, and if they were ever going to be friends again than they had to start somewhere.

Swallowing the pain in her chest, she grabbed Yugi's hand and led him over to an empty bench overlooking the campus.

Tea didn't say a word as they sat down side by side, the silence heavy though comfortable. She had twenty more minutes before her morning class started so she had enough time to figure out what was wrong with her best friend.

"Do you remember Hajime from high school?"

Tea blinked in surprise as she turned her attention to Yugi though he remained facing forward.

"Yes, I remember him," Tea whispered, unsure about why he was bringing up a classmate they hardly ever spoke to.

"What do you remember about him?"

Tea frowned at the seriousness of her friends tone and the blank expression on his face. If she didn't know any better she would say that he had hung around Seto Kaiba recently...she shook her head in amusement, the chance of that laughably low.

"I remember that he was very nice and that I nearly killed Joey for taunting him when it came out that he was homosexual. Why Yugi?" Tea asked carefully, taken off guard by Yugi's odd behavior.

He didn't answer, merely turning to look her straight in the eye. She furrowed her brow in confusion and unease as she looked back at him. His expression was pleading and solemn, begging for her to understand whatever it was that he was trying to tell her.

Why would Yugi bring Hajime up?

Unless...

"Yugi?" she choked out in question, her heart filling with skepticism.

She had slept with Yugi countless of times...there was NO way that he was gay. But...could he possibly be...bi-sexual? Yugi has always been in touch with his emotions, unafraid to cry if he felt the need unlike other guys Tea knew.

"What did you tell Hajime when you saw Joey bullying him?"

Tea's heart shuttered violently in her chest as Yugi confirmed her thoughts, and while she still loved Yugi anyway she wasn't too sure how to feel about it. Was this why he wanted sometime away from her? It all seemed so sudden...and then she remembered Mokuba's party and how distracted he was afterwords.

Her heart thumped as it all clicked together like a puzzle.

Deep down Tea knew he was gone even then, but she didn't want to believe it. Truthfully they were sinking for most of their relationship, but what could he have possibly of seen at the younger Kaiba's party that made everything turn around so fast?

"I told him to be proud of who he was and that it didn't matter who you love, as long as they make you happy," she whispered, her mind swirling with questions and emotions though she stood by her intentions of remaining friends with Yugi no matter what.

But that didn't stop the overwhelming feelings from threatening to pull her under and force her into cardiac-arrest.

"Did you mean it Tea?"

She smiled though it was small and sad. "Yes Yugi, I meant every word. We are who we are and no one else has the right to tell us who we can and can't be with. Know this as well Yugi, I will always be here for you no matter what."

Though it was slight his expression brightened, the small bit of heaviness looming over Yugi lifting only a fraction. Tea was happy to help even if it was only a little.

The bell chimed in the distance, marking the time as eight in the morning meaning that it was time for Tea to get to her class before she was late.

"I didn't mean to keep you this long. Go on to class Tea," Yugi said as he stood up, pulling her along with him. He reached down and picked up her books that were left forgotten on the ground, scattered carelessly and most likely a little damaged.

She took them from him, the air becoming a little awkward as their eyes met. There were no sparks and no bitterness; only a finality to a chapter of their lives that didn't need any words as Tea backed away.

Yugi smiled softly, his hands finding their way back into his pockets -a nervous habit.

"Goodbye Tea."

She didn't move as he turned around and began to walk away, bittersweet sorrow filling her heart as she watched him go.

Forever out of her reach.

"Goodbye Yugi," she whispered.

~W~W~W~

Yugi was a little late opening the store, but luckily it was slow for most of the morning so not much business was lost. When school let out it became busier than it had been for a while which Yugi was grateful for.

Anything to keep him distracted.

After getting home the night before he couldn't sleep, instead staying up until the Sun rose in the sky. Yugi couldn't deny what had happened between him and Kaiba the day before, and though he could blame it on the heat of moment there was no way he could twist the way he was feeling inside.

When it first began Yugi could tell himself that Kaiba was just playing some sick joke and then brush it aside, but after the day before he could no longer tell himself that. Kaiba had kissed him, his eyes actually showing Yugi the secrets of his labyrinth maze of a heart.

While Yugi never thought Kaiba was heartless, he had no idea that the CEO was capable of the things he showed Yugi. He expressed soft, tender, genuine emotions that weren't clouded by smart comments or the need to appear invulnerable. It felt right being by Kaiba's side, no rivalry and no fights.

But Yugi was still worried about the outcome if he were to truly explore whatever was happening. He knew Ryou would still accept him regardless, but Yugi needed to hear it from another friend. He needed to hear that there was nothing wrong with him, that he wasn't crazy.

So he gave up on sleep and took the train to Tea's school. He saw how she was looking at him, hurt and disbelief clear on her face. He didn't expect her to just accept it and move on, but he was glad to know that she understood and hopefully someday they could be the friends they used to be.

Yugi knew that his Grandpa would love him no matter what though it would still be hard. And then there was Tristan and Joey, two people who hate Kaiba's guts more than anything and have had a past of making fun of anyone who was different from them or seen as strange.

Which at one point was Yugi, and the thought of them being like that towards him again was enough to seal his mouth shut.

He didn't want to lose his best friends but...they had stuck with him through thick and thin no matter the danger. Would they really turn their backs on him so easily if he...decided to explore these feelings and emotions within himself?

Yes, he was confused, torn, scared and even a little horrified at first, but how long could he really keep it up before he cracked and fell apart? It hadn't been that long since Mokuba's party and things had already shifted so much that he would never be able to go back to how life was before.

And truth be told he wasn't really that happy with his life, he just didn't know it until he was forced to truly look from the outside in.

But driving in the car with Kaiba, feeling the cool wind on his face and the flutter of his heart made him feel so alive. It was like nothing could touch him and like he had no reason to worry. He was free from the mundane activities of everyday life. It felt as if he could fly and like nothing was impossible.

Is that how giving into Kaiba would make him feel?

Yugi was still pondering the answer to his question as he entered Kaiba Corp, walking past the front desk receptionist and heading straight towards the elevator, careful to not get run over by the men and woman running around like chickens without heads.

He had noticed that the guards had not once tried to stop him every time he barged into Kaiba Corp and that made him smile. Kaiba had very strict security and if they were letting him come and go as he pleased than it was because Kaiba willed it to be so.

That also had to mean that the CEO trusted Yugi to not go where he wasn't wanted.

He stopped as he reached the double doors, fully aware of older blonde woman who was Kaiba's personal receptionist staring at him like he had grown two heads. She was no doubt trying to figure out who he was and why he kept coming back without being stopped.

Considering that she never stopped him from entering Kaiba's office she was probably told of WHO he was but not WHY he out of everyone the CEO knew was able to barge right into his office without consequence.

Yugi mentally shrugged and walked right in, shutting the door silently behind him as he examined the vacant room. Truly the emptiness of Kaiba's office made Yugi frown and his heart fill up with sadness.

Kaiba had given up a lot within himself to make sure that Mokuba had a good life and a roof over his head. While it was admirable, Yugi couldn't help but feel sorrow for the child that had suffered at the hands of an evil, twisted man.

Yugi sighed as he made his way across the spacious room to the large window overlooking the busy nightlife of Domino City.

The CEO really had come a long way since they first all met even though he was still the same Kaiba he had always been. They were two very different people, Kaiba assertive and domineering while Yugi was more sympathetic and shy. How in the world did they end up where they were now?

How could they ever be anything more than acquaintances? They can't even seem to be friends...

"What thought has you frowning?"

Yugi jumped and turned around, blushing in embarrassment at the sight of Kaiba sitting causally on top of his desk. His navy blue button up shirt was rolled to his elbows with the first top buttons undone, showing a teasingly small amount of pale smooth skin tight across his lean chest. His arms were crossed, making the muscles bulge attractively and his chestnut hair a little more tousled than normal.

Yugi's heart fluttered uncomfortably in his chest when he met Kaiba's steady gaze, the blue bright and shining though he still maintained his typical stoic expression. Yugi let out an unsteady breath of air as he turned away from Kaiba and the vision of him all unkempt and informal.

It was...a nice way to see him for once.

"We're not friends," Yugi finally said, his heart still hammering in his chest as he once more concentrated on Domino City down below.

"No we're not," Kaiba agreed without a second of hesitation, making Yugi frown once more at how easily he answered.

Did Yugi somehow read everything wrong? Could this really be some sick game that Kaiba was playing? Was Yugi just a way to pass the time and something to laugh about when he lays down to go to sleep?

"How come?" Yugi whispered, his hands buried deep in his jean pockets as he turned away from Kaiba a little more so the observant man couldn't see his stricken expression.

This time Kaiba took more time to answer, and if Yugi had been facing the CEO he would have seen the ardent expression lurking within the icy blue gaze.

Yugi jumped in surprise when a large, imperative hand fell on his shoulder, turning Yugi around so his back was pressed against the glass. Yugi tilted his head back, meeting Kaiba's looming gaze in question. The CEO lowered his head so he was more level with Yugi, making it less intimidating.

"Because Yugi, friends come and go but I play for keeps. I don't have time for people who will someday no longer be around."

Yugi blinked in surprise, somehow not expecting that answer. Yugi had always felt that friends were important. The days where Yugi didn't have any friends were horrible and lonely, but Kaiba didn't grow up with friends either. Yugi couldn't imagine his life without his friends there to support him and protect him.

"Friends are much more than that Kaiba. How come you can't see that?" Yugi whispered softly.

Kaiba's lips twitched his distaste. "Please Yugi, I don't want to hear any friends speeches tonight."

Yugi's face flashed in annoyance and anger, causing Kaiba to raise a brow in amusement though the smaller man didn't notice.

"No Kaiba, one thing that you should have figured out about me by now is my friends are very important to me and I never want to lose them!"

Yugi didn't mean to shout, the anger overwhelming him though he wasn't sure what it was that he was angry about or if he was even truly angry at all.

Kaiba didn't seem perplexed however, instead allowing Yugi to continue.

"I had no one except my Grandpa until my friends came along and I cherish them Kaiba. I tried for so long to be your friend as well but you never wanted anything to do with me. All of sudden this began happening and...is this just a moment of amusement for you Kaiba? The moment I give in are you going to get bored and then cast me off to side like trash?" Yugi questioned accusingly, his head beginning to pound as words found their way out of mouth without his control.

He couldn't seem to stop no matter how much he wanted to immediately take back the horrid words that were coming out, but this time when Yugi went to continue a long finger against his lips had him stopping short, his eyes widening in surprise and relief.

"I already answered your question Yugi," Kaiba interrupted, his eyes narrowed and cool. Yugi shivered at the dangerous gleam hiding deep within his gaze. "I play for keeps and nothing less. I don't like to waste my time on things I don't find worth it, and friends to me are not worth it. Neither are things that I would toss to the side like trash as you so elegantly put it. I have Mokuba...and I have you."

Yugi's eyes were comically wide, whatever it was he was going to say stuck in this throat and forgotten

"This week has been for your sake Yugi, not mine. I know what I want and I'm not afraid of it," Kaiba said, his voice calloused. "And if your friends are as loyal to you as you are to them than you have nothing to be afraid of. Let's start with that Tea girl for one," Kaiba continued, his voice a low hiss. "She used you as a replacement for the Pharaoh and didn't once think about how you felt, did she? And then there's Wheeler and the kid with the ridiculous hair who used to beat you up and torment you, and while they had both proven themselves since then, here they are holding you back from doing what you really want to do. Rather they realize it or not, and you still stand by their side."

An odd look flashed across Kaiba's face, a look that suddenly made a puzzle piece shift into place in Yugi's mind. "That's why you never liked my friends," Yugi whispered in wonder and amazement. "You're jealous of my relationship with them."

Kaiba's face twisted up like he had sucked on a bad lemon, and if the situation had been different Yugi would have laughed. "Don't insult me Yugi. I don't like your friends because they're all idiots...and because they are keeping you away from me." Kaiba finished a little more softer.

"Kaiba, I don't even know what all of this even is..." Yugi responded just as soft, unease filling his chest as Kaiba's expression leveled and his stare became unimpeachable.

"Have I not told you what this is Yugi? Have I not shown you?" he asked harshly, his tone making Yugi flinch though his eyes remained unnaturally cold. "What more could I do to make you see that this is not some sick game? I've never felt these things for another person. Despite the things your friends did to hurt you, how come you can't trust me the way you trust them? Why..."

Yugi was at a lost for words as Kaiba suddenly turned around and strolled right out of the office without another word. Yugi was frozen, guilt slamming against his chest as he replayed Kaiba's words over in his head...and he realized that he had actually hurt Kaiba by doubting his intentions.

Yugi was afraid because he didn't trust him and he was terrified he would lose his friends if they were to become involved...and in that way he was choosing his friends over the CEO, at least in the Kaiba's mind.

And maybe there was a little bit of truth to it. Maybe Kaiba had every right to feel that way...

Yugi sighed and rubbed his eyes, his exhaustion from not sleeping the night before making him dizzy. He found his way into Kaiba's chair, leaning his head down on the desk for a moment...

But he raised his head when he noticed one of the desk draws were cracked open, a piece of paper sticking out. Yugi knew it was wrong and an invasion of privacy, but he couldn't seem to stop himself as he pulled the paper out...and his guilt multiplied ten-fold.

His breathing was hard as he looked the picture over in disbelief, tears clouding his vision.

It was a picture of Yugi and Mokuba, one that was taken sometime after the Pharaoh had passed on. Yugi remembered taking the picture. Everyone (except Kaiba) had went over to Tristan's house for the new year, and Mokuba brought a camera and proceeded to take picture with everyone.

How did Kaiba get a hold of the picture and why did he have it in the first place?

And that's when it finally hit Yugi so hard that he might as well have been slapped. Kaiba really WAS serious...it wasn't a game...

And Yugi had never felt more horrible in his entire life than he did in that moment.