Chapter Four: The Language of Love

"I can't do this!" cried the magenta-eyed boy, squeezing his body into the very back of the closet.

"Oh, come on, Yugi! You're acting worse than a little child who is clinging to his mommy's skirt!" scolded Ryou, trying to pry his classmate out of the tiny area with insulting remarks similar to that of his yami's.

"Not so!" protested the adolescent with tri-colored hair, scowling at his friend. "How could you say something like that?"

"Because you're cowering in the corner of your own closet with all the lights turned out."

"And how does that make me a frightened toddler?"

"I didn't accuse you of being a scared kid, I just illustrated your behavior." The silvery-haired teen pointed out, returning his comrade's dirty look with one of his own. "Don't twist my words into vile phrases."

"You're yelling at me." Yugi said in a small, meek voice. "Be nice, okay?"

Without realizing how loud he was being, the emerald-eyed boy shouted, "Why are you making everything so difficult? Just get up off your ass, tell Yugioh how you feel, and go on to live the rest of your life with him! Don't make things harder than they already are!"

Shocked by his friend's brutally blunt speech, the magenta-eyed teen stared at him with huge frightened orbs. "Do you know how harsh that sounds, especially since you know full well that revealing secret emotions to your crush isn't really that easy?"

"Sorry" apologized the snowy-haired child, understanding the hurt expression on Yugi's face. "I'm being totally insensitive to your cause."

"Tell me something I don't know." the amethyst-eyed individual grumbled, resting his head on his knees. "You were being a royal bitch there for a few seconds."

"Hey!" retorted Ryou good-naturedly, slightly surprised by his classmate's response. "I may just have to kick your ass for that!"

Yugi smirked, the ruby flecks in his eyes shimmering wickedly as he spoke. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's not my fault you were sounding like a pain in the ass."

Sighing regretfully, the teen with white tresses straightened his clothes, idly remembering his millennium spirit's less-than-congenial attitude toward most people in general. "I realize as much. My yami's cordial disposition must be rubbing off on me."

"Excuses, excuses." smiled Yugi, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Like yours are any better than mine." Bakura's hikari shot back in a disgruntled way. "Whining rips at my nerves after a while."

"Yikes." commented the counterpart of the king of games, lines of concern creasing his brow. "I guess the spirit of the ring's personality really is affecting you."

Ryou shrugged, the gesture almost agreeing with Yugi's observation. "It's only natural that my yami's attitude will spark a personality change in me. Both of our dispositions have become intertwined in a short number of months, too."

"Doesn't that scare you?" "Why should it?"

"Well, aren't you afraid that you're losing your identity to someone else?"

Shaking his head, the snowy-haired adolescent provided his friend with a gentle smile. "Not at all. Much to everyone's astonishment, I believe that my millennium spirit has enhanced my perspective, my demeanor, just everything in my life. Ordinarily, most people would think that he is not only a detrimental to himself, but to anyone who crosses his path. They don't know him, Yugi. No one sees him the way I do. When he's with me, Bakura reveals that there is more to him than what everyone else sees, what everyone else thinks they know."

"How can you put such a volatile and hazardous individual on such a high pedestal?"

"That's exactly what everyone fails to see. He's not a danger to a single soul. Matter of fact, he is the exact opposite of that. Yami is warm, caring, and just the most loving person I know." Yugi's eyes expanded to an abnormally large degree, spellbound by what he had just heard. Still trying to convince his classmate that Bakura possessed a good heart, Ryou related his love life to that of his comrade's. "Relationships require the bonding of two souls, Yugi. You can't ensorse complete individualism if you're trying to enter into a partnership." Bending down beside the youthful duelist, the adolescent with emerald eyes explained his point of view. "Pharaoh needs someone to grow and change with. We both know that philosophy is something that is very important to him, too. Everyone has pet peeves; you know those as well as I do. While he's pondering the latest theory of relativity, you're probably wishing he'd just shut up and tell you how much he loves you, am I right?"

Smiling with a slight blush coloring his cheeks, the magenta-eyed child nodded his assent. "Yep, that's pretty much how it is."

"Then if you truly believe the spirit of the puzzle is your one and only love, you have to listen to him. The key to success for all couples is communication. More specifically, one of your main objectives should be satisfying the wants and needs of your partner."

"Even if that means letting Yugioh prattle on about Socrates until hell freezes over?" inquired the boy with tri-colored tresses, the look on his visage quite quizzical.

Cracking an amused grin, the silvery-haired teen nodded. "I'm afraid so, Yugi." Suddenly, the mild-mannered smile on his face disappeared, and his features grew serious. "Besides, don't you at least owe that much to your yami? Part of loving him also means listening to him. Don't you understand that he'd do the same for you?"

"No, he'd just keep on rambling about how entertaining it would be to sit on his ass and think his whole life is an illusion."

Ryou giggled at his friend's attempt at humor, struggling to keep his composure. "Oh, please.no one's that bad when it comes to talking."

"I see that you've never sat through any of his absent-minded debates where Yugioh mostly talks to himself?"

"Yes I have."

"Nu-uh!"

"Remember that time when I asked him what novel he was reading, and your yami proceeded to inform me about Bertrand Russel's insight on tables?"

"You mean the time where both of you were seated in the dining room, and I mistook your conversation for flirting?" asked Yugi, a picture of the event starting to form in his mind. "Is that what you're referring to?"

"Yes," answered the green-eyed child, a rosy glow spreading over his face. "that's the occasion. I wondered why it took you several weeks to speak to me after that."

"But you fell asleep 'listening' to his philosophical rant!" exclaimed the petite adolescent, waving his classmate off. "That doesn't count!"

Exasperated and tired, Ryou tried to make his point once more. "Everyone has their quirks to put up with. The power of romance helps us to look past our significant other's shortcomings and see the soul that is inside."

"That might take me a while." grumbled the boy with tri-colored hair, prodding at a loose nail. "It's hard to see what's there, sometimes."

"Isn't Yami Yugi worth taking another look at, though?"

"Of course he is!" exclaimed the violet-eyed child, defending his romantic interest passionately.

"Then what are you waiting for? Get out there and tell him just how you feel!"

"Alright!" stated Yugi, bounding up from his location on the floor. "I can do this!"

"Sure you can!"

"Of course I can!"

"Then go on already!"

"Okay, here I go! Look out, Spirit, 'cuz I'm ready to spring into action!" declared the magenta-eyed teen enthusiastically, going for the bedroom door. "I'll show him what I'm made of!"

"Good luck!" Bakura's hikari said, grinning from ear-to-ear. "And go get him!"

Flashing his friend a happy smile, the young duelist put his hand in the frame of the door. Though he had just promised Ryou that he was on his way to winning the heart of his yami, Yugi began to tremble violently. Ideas he had never thought of before overpowered his head, demanding his attention.

/What if Yugioh rejects me?/ wondered the small boy fearfully; beads of sweat dotting his brow. /He could tell me off and break my soul apart at the same time.this is all a huge risk for me to take. If I hit on him and he doesn't like me that way, what then? I'll be crushed, I just know it!/

The whole room was spinning wildly, and the adolescent with red, black, and blond hair began to feel sick. His stomach turned into one big knot, making it hard for the poor child to breathe.

Sensing that something was horribly wrong with his comrade, Ryou asked, "Are you all right there, Yugi?"

"I still can't do this!" the small teen whined, hanging his head in shame.

Ryou slapped his forehead, at a loss for anything inspirational to say. "You can't be serious."

"I am." said Yugi, his head still bowed between his shoulders in untold grief.

"How is he ever going to know you like him if you back out now?"

"I dunno.telepathy, maybe?"

"Very funny." mumbled Ryou, clearly unamused by his friend's lack of bravery. "Who would have ever dreamed that the king of games was such a total coward?"

"Hey!" cried the male with purple-red orbs, "Where do you get off calling me that?" Seeing the huffy glare on the silvery-haired boy's face made Yugi shift his weight to the opposite foot. Letting his vision drift to the carpet, the child with tri-colored hair whispered, "I'm sorry, but it's just not that easy. I've never done this before."

Hooking his thumb and index finger around his friend's chin, the adolescent with snowy tresses lifted the shaken boy's head. Reluctant magenta orbs met the consoling gaze of brilliant green ones, suddenly humiliated by the behavior being exhibited.

"I'm going to be completely honest with you, Yugi." stated the green-eyed teen calmly, continuing to hold his classmate's line of sight level with his. "You might crash and burn in asking Yugioh out. He could tell you that contemplating the origin of Descartes' 'evil genius' is more important than getting himself wrapped up with you." Hearing a little whimper escape his friend's throat, Ryou offered him a tender smile. "Then again, Pharaoh could also reveal to you overwhelming feelings of love and deep desire for you, too. Wouldn't it be better to say something to him instead of keeping quiet?"

"Maybe." said Yugi, biting down on his lower lip. "But does it have to be done face-to-face?"

"No, there are other ways of getting the message across to him than that."

"Like what?"

"A phone call, possibly?"

Shaking his head from side to side, the young counterpart of Yugioh opposed the thought. "No, that's still too direct of an approach. I want a way to tell him my emotions without being in his presence."

"Hmmm." Ryou thought out loud, stroking the side of his visage. "That's a toughie, there. What about an E-mail?"

"You mean a typed message sent via the PC?"

"Yeah, would that work?"

Again, the champion of the Duelist Kingdom tournament shook his head. "Naw, that's too impersonal. I want this to be special, something a little more intimate than a computer document."

"Now you're just being difficult." complained Ryou, scratching his cheek. "I don't see what's so wrong with sending him a letter on the Internet."

"That's it!" exclaimed the youth with tri-colored tresses, throwing his arms around his friend gratefully. "That's a perfect idea!"

"What is?" asked the taller boy, knitting his brow together in puzzlement.

"Oh, thank-you, Ryou! Thank-you so very much!"

"Um, you're welcome, I guess." Responded the green-eyed adolescent, still clueless as to why his comrade had become so happy all of a sudden. "Feel free to fill me in on the details of your wild streak of elation, though. I have no earthly idea what's going on at the moment."

"Huh? Ah, you just gave me a great idea, that's all!"

"I did?"

"Yeah, I figured out that I could write my yami a letter and have it delivered to him!"

"And that's any different from an E-mail?" inquired Ryou, the look on his face still reflecting the emotion of confusion.

"Sure it is, since I'm the one creating the note by hand." Yugi replied in a matter-of-fact tone. "it shows more effort on my behalf if I write everything out than if I let the PC do all the work for me."

"Alright, it's your love life." sighed the hikari of Bakura, giving his friend a slight shrug. "I'm not going to run it for you." Clapping his hands together, the silvery-haired male asked, "How do you want to go about this?"

"Well, I was kinda hoping that you'd help me with the composition."

Rolling his eyes towards the heavens, the emerald-eyed individual replied, "Yes, I expected as much." He raked a free hand through his long white tresses, twirling some of the strands around his fingers.

"Does that mean you're gonna help me out?"

Ryou observed his comrade's body language, the way the little duelist stood all teary-eyed in a begging manner. Taking in the glassy quality of his friend's orbs, the snowy-haired child sighed in defeat. He couldn't bear to see a close c comrade of his in such a depressing state, nor would he stand by and watch someone he cared about fall apart in front of him. Alas, that was the downfall of compassion: the burning desire to try to save everyone in the world at any cost.

"Sure, why not." Said the emerald-eyed child in resignation.

"Too cool!" exclaimed Yugi, delighted with the answer he received.

"That's what friends are for, right?"

"Right! I say we get started now!"

"What do you want me to do?"

"You know that calligraphy set you own?"

"What about it?" asked Ryou, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at his classmate.

"Well, I was thinking you could-"

"Write the note out for you, too?" finished the snowy-haired teen, practically reading the magenta-eyed child's mind.

"Pretty please?" begged Yugi, his eyes becoming big and watery once more. "Everyone knows that you have the best penmanship in school!"

"I thought you were supposed to write the letter, not me!" protested the silvery-haired adolescent, folding his arms in front of himself.

"I will!" promised the boy with tri-colored tresses. "Just do that much for me, okay? I'm gonna tell you what it should have in it and everything -" "I guess I could." interrupted Ryou, nodding his assent grudgingly. "It certainly wouldn't hurt anything."

"And maybe I could get you to place the note in Yugioh's binder, too?"

"You're pushing it there, Yugi." warned the snowy-haired teen, heading out of his friend's bedroom.

"Where are you going?"

"I need my calligraphy pens and paper, don't I?" called Ryou over his shoulder, resting his hand on the frame of the door. "You coming?"

"I can wait here for you to return." offered Yugioh's hikari, coming out of the closet. Finding a nearby chair, he seated himself behind an ornate desk made of wood and pulled some paper and a pencil out of an adjacent drawer. "In the meantime, I'm going to be sketching out a draft for my first love letter."

"But don't you need to show me where your yami's bedroom is?" questioned the hikari of Bakura, tapping his fingetips against the wooden beams that made up the entrance to the living area.

"You mean you're actually going to give him the letter, too?" questioned Yugi animatedly, the ruby flecks in his eyes sparkling radiantly.

"So show me his room already." commanded Ryou, spreading his arm out into the hallway. "Lead the way."

"This is great!" cried the petite adolescent; leaping into the corridor outside of the place they were in. his hand gripped his comrade's wrist tightly, pulling the surprised teenager behind him. "Everything is finally falling into place! Me and Yugioh are gonna get engaged, then married, have a bunch of cute adopted kids, and live in a wonderfully happy home!"

"Don't get too ahead of yourself!" warned the emerald-eyed male, almost tripping in the hallway because he was having trouble keeping up with his classmate's enthusiastic pace. "You still haven't written that letter yet and you don't know how he feels about you!"

"With you by my side helping me, how can I go wrong?" laughed Yugi, dragging his poor friend behind him in a hurried fashion.

"Anything can turn out bad." mumbled Ryou, jumping over a stack of freshly folded clothes by the laundry space. "Especially when our millennium spirits are involved in romantic circumstances. The language of love isn't exactly something they're very versed in."

Though the little hikari had no idea how right he was, he had no foreknowledge of the disastrous dialogue that had already erupted between Bakura and Pharaoh. Not only that, but there was no possible way he could have known that things were about to get much worse in the romantic tragedy concerning Yami Yugi and his petite dueling prodigy.