Gah! I have finally gotten over my writer's block, and produced this chapter. Hooray! This chapter's a little dramatic.

Making Mistakes

Chapter 3: Broken Hearts and Rekindled Flames

"Ryou?"

Bakura held out the phone to his lover, mouthing 'Yugi' and the holder of the Sennen Ring took it from him. "What's going on, Yugi-kun?"

"Kuroi…" It sounded like Yugi was crying. "Kuroi was here today…."

Ryou sighed. "I know that, he was at the game with you. What happened?"

"We-we-we-."

"You what?"

Yugi let out a shaky breath. "We kissed."

Ryou almost dropped the phone. "YOU WHAT?"

Yugi whimpered. "We didn't mean to-and then I said I love Yami and not him and he got all upset and vanished and then I called you and you said-"

"Yugi-kun," said Ryou, quickly cutting his friend off. "Breathe. Calm down. Now, say that again, more slowly, if you please."

Yugi took in a shaky breath. "We were in the living room and we were just having a snack and then I grabbed his hand, and then I wanted to kiss him so bad, Ryou and then I-I licked his fingers, and then we kissed…then I stopped and he got angry and left. Oh, Ryou I finally understand what you meant-but it's with the wrong person, Ryou-."

"Yugi-kun, look, it's too late at night for this, and you're going to give yourself a heart attack. Just sleep on it, and call me in the morning, okay?"

"Okay…good night." Yugi hung up the phone and buried his face in his pillow.

"Kuroi? Please open the door…" Kuri tried the knob, and to his shock, it opened. Kuroi was spread out on his bed, head buried in the pillows, shoulders shaking. "Kuroi!" Kuri stumbled over to the bed and placed a hand on his friend's back, which hitched with his sobs. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I never should have told you to go…."

"No…don't be sorry." Kuroi looked up at the smaller monster with a tiny, shaking, pathetic, cynical smile. "You didn't know. I was stupid to even try to kiss him or touch him or be near him in the first place. I was such a fool. A servant can never be his master's love."

"That's not true-."

"Damn, Kuri, it is!"

"But-."

"Please…" Kuri left the room, tears now rolling down his cheeks as well. He brushed them away as he ran back to Chaos. "Stupid Yugi-sama…."

//I am such an idiot. //

**Why? **

*Ya-Yami! *

**Well, I know it's not the best of names, but it's better than being 'the other Yugi' forever. So, I'm assuming it's not why you're an idiot. So, why are you an idiot? ** Yugi bit his lip. He couldn't intentionally lie mind to mind, so saying 'nothing' or making up some story or saying 'I can't tell you' was out. *I-I won't tell you. *

Yami reacted to the twisting, uncomfortable feeling in Yugi's tone. **Aibou…why won't you tell me? Do you think I'll react badly? **

*I know you will. You'll hate me for it. *

Yugi felt the mental equivalent of a hand on his shoulder. **Aibou, I love you. There's nothing that you could do that would make me hate you. **

*Don't put any money on that. *

Yami started. Yugi's voice was so harsh, so bitter. **Aibou…please…** Yugi didn't answer, and promptly set up mental blocks.

"Kuroi-sempai?"

The magician tore his face from his tear-soaked pillow. He hissed at his visitor, sounding rather like an acrimonious or sick python. "What?"

"Are you okay?" He frowned at his slightly-air-headed former student. "Well, I guess that's a stupid question. You did just get your heart broken, after all. I mean, Yugi-sama really-."

"Shut up."

"I mean, it must have hurt *so* much to have him break your heart-"

"Shojo, shut *up*…!"

The girl magician pouted cutely, lower lip quivering as her eyes glossed over. "Don't tell me to shut up…."

"Go away. Your voice gives me a headache, and I already have enough of one." The girl's eyes filled with tears and she ran away, wailing. "Well, *that* was mean, Kuroi."

"Kane, what are *you* doing here? I thought you weren't speaking to me." The swordsman climbed in the window in much the same way that Lust had. "I never said that. So, it didn't work out, huh?"

"Does *everyone* know about this? *

Kane was tempted to roll his eyes. "You did come sobbing out of the portal, not to mention Kuri let it slip that you were going to see Yugi-sama. It didn't take a genius to see what had happened."

"Of course it didn't take a genius. You figured it out." Kane chose to ignore this.

"So, now what?"

Kuroi glared at him. "You stop pretending that we are friends dear to the other's heart, get out of my room, and I go back to burying myself in self pity." Kuroi rolled back on to his stomach.

"That doesn't sound fun. Tell me what happened, maybe it'll make you feel better."

"And perhaps you'll learn to stop prying. It's none of your business."

"I'm trying to be nice. I'm trying to say I'm sorry for being a jerk." Kuroi looked up at him. "I'm sorry for everything. We've been friends for so long, and now it seems like everything is falling apart-ever since we went to see Yugi-sama." //Oops…//

"Yes…" Kane gently touched his friend's shoulder and Kuroi leaned against him, put his head on Kane's knee as he slipped to the floor. Kane wasn't Yugi but he was warm and he didn't make Kuroi feel anything that made his heart suffer and he was here, trying to fix things. But it still didn't feel quite right, even as Kane stroked his hair and rubbed his back with his strong capable hands. Why couldn't it be right? "Yugi-sama doesn't deserve you."

Kuroi lifted up his head, now glaring at the other monster. "Don't say that! He may have made mistakes and hurt me, but Yugi-sama is a good person with a kind heart!"

"Kind heart or no, he still mistreated you!"

The mage jumped to his feet. "It was a mistake on my part!"

"What will it take for you to get it? He. Doesn't. Care. About. You. Anymore. You served your purpose, now he has what he wants, so back you go." Kane's golden eyes now glittered as he too got to his feet. "Why don't you just forget about him?"

"I love him!" The blonde elf knocked the magician down flat on his back and fiercely kissed him. "So what?" Kuroi stared up at his friend in shock. "What's wrong with you? You act like the sun consults him on where to rise! You're so enthralled with him that you don't notice someone else who loves *you*!" Kuroi shoved the elf swordsman off. "As I recall, I told you of my feelings for you and you rejected me!"

"I was afraid!"

"I was afraid of loving you as well! But I told you, and you rejected me! What was I to do? Sit and wait for you to change your mind? Not fall in love with someone else because you were too stubborn and frightened to respond to me?"

"So…it's too late for us?" Kane's eyes still shone with tears, but they did not fall. Kuroi nodded, slowly. "But he doesn't love you-."

"It does not matter." Kuroi smiled, even as a single tear ran down his face. "I love him, and I will continue to love him, whether he loves me, Yami-san, or any other he chooses."

Kane nodded. "So that's it."

"I'm sorry."

"It's all right." Kane quickly brushed a hand over his eyes. "Could I ask you one favor?"

"Depends. What is it?"

"One more kiss?" Kuroi smiled, tears now running freely down his face as he gently brushed his lips against his friends. He was sorry that it was all that they could ever be…Kane pulled back first. "I love you." With that, he climbed back out of the window. //I love you too, my friend. Just not in the way you want-the way I used to want you to love me. Forgive me. In my heart, Yugi-sama holds sway. //

//Why was it so right when I kissed him? // Yugi stared out the shop's front window. It had been two weeks since Kuroi had left again, and Yugi was about to be crushed with his guilt. Yami kept asking what happened and why Yugi felt so guilty, but Yugi simply blocked him out when he asked. He couldn't tell him, but it felt like he was lying all the time now. Yugi felt like his heart would eventually shatter under the pressure of guilt on three terms. The guilt of crushing Kuroi's heart yet again was the first. The guilt of lying to Yami was the second and the third guilt that made him feel ashamed was this: the fact that he wanted to see the magician and kiss him again. The tingle of the bell on the shop door announced the arrival of another person, shaking the small boy out of his thoughts. "Hey, Yugi." Jounouchi entered, smiling. "Feel like closing shop and heading down to the movies with us? Everybody's all ready in the car. Yami can come too, if he's around."

"He's out." //And good thing too, otherwise he'd be bothering me, asking, asking, asking. // "And I have to mind the store. Grandpa is taking a nap." Yugi managed a smile. "Thanks anyway, Jounouchi-kun."

"Oh…Well, next time, right?" Yugi nodded, and Jounouchi turned to leave, then he stopped. "Whatever's bothering ya, keep working on it. You can call me…or somebody else if you want…ya know, to talk or whatever."

"Jounouchi-kun…Thanks, but this…I have to figure it out on my own."

"No, you don't have to-you just want to, right?" With that, Jounouchi left, letting the door shut quietly behind him. "So, it didn't work, huh?" Honda asked, as Jounouchi climbed into the car. "Nope."

"I thought everything was finally okay with Yugi," Anzu mumbled. "What could be wrong now?" Ryou and Bakura shared a secret glance. They knew what was wrong with Yugi, but out of respect for his privacy, they had kept it to themselves. Well, Ryou had kept quiet out of respect; Bakura had done it only because Ryou had sworn to take a vow of celibacy for a month if Bakura opened his mouth-and he could pull it off too. Seto noticed the glance, but said nothing. There had to be a reason they weren't saying anything. Perhaps he'd ask Yugi himself later. When Jounouchi worried, he tended to get obsessive and not pay any attention to him-though, this could be a good thing a lot of the time. When Jounouchi wasn't worrying, he was fawning, and constant fawning was well…Seto stopped thinking about his blonde boyfriend for a minute, and focused back on his initial thought. Contrary to popular belief, (also known as Anzu and Honda, not to mention the rest of the student body), he liked Yugi.

Yugi traced an invisible design on the glass counter. Kuroi flashed through his memory, smiling, crying, and laughing. Yugi could remember every detail of kissing Kuroi, the sweet rightness of it, how warm it had been, how soft his lips had felt… // Lying to Yami, breaking Kuroi's heart *again*, pretending to myself that I don't want to kiss Kuroi again… I am a complete and utter jerk. //

**I heard that, and I'm not even going to bother asking why. **

*Yami…*

**Aibou, this is getting stupid. ** Yami came into the shop and slammed both hands on the counter. "It's pretty obvious what it is."

"It is?"

Yami nodded. "You slept with someone else and now you feel guilty about it. It's only natural that you wouldn't want me to know-" Yugi glared at his boyfriend, violet eyes dark. " How can you say that? I didn't sleep with him! I-I wanted to, but I didn't! I just kissed him! Happy? And it doesn't matter anyway because he probably hates me now. And I didn't want to tell you because everything was all right! But I didn't sleep with him! I didn't! I made him stop because I didn't want to do that to you!"

There was a moment of silence, then Yami asked, too casually, "Who?"

"Kuroi."

"I thought you didn't feel anything for him."

Yugi shook his head. "I never said that! I *told* you that I cared about him!"

"But you said that you loved me!"

"I do!"

"So why did you kiss *him* if you love *me*?"

Yugi looked back down at the counter. "Because I wanted to. Because it felt right." Yami looked off to the side, then clamped down on Yugi's hands. "Yami-" Yugi was once again cut off by a kiss. Yami's kiss was different than Kuroi's. It was good, but it wasn't right. Because it wasn't Kuroi. Yugi found himself wishing that the mage was in Yami's place, and with the shock of that realization, Yugi broke the kiss. Yami's sanguine eyes narrowed in anger, then widened in understanding. "You're wishing it was him." It wasn't a question, but Yugi nodded in agreement. "I waited too long, and so you gave your love to him."

Yugi shook his head 'no' this time. "I still love you but…."

"What?"

"I love him."

"More than me?"

Yugi's small hands made themselves into fists as he shut his eyes to stop confused tears. "I think so…" Yami quietly left the room, though the door slammed loudly, echoing through the shop. "I'm sorry, Yami. I'm sorry…I did to you what you did to me…going after someone else even though you love me." //"Perhaps before deciding on anyone, you should see whom you really love. Or the only thing that'll happen is that someone is going to get hurt. And it may not be you."// Yugi buried his head in his arms. //Kane was right, and it took me this long to really understand…I was just clinging to Yami because I had been in love with him for so long, and because I was so stupid I wound up hurting Yami, Kuroi, and myself. // He could feel tears begin, but he yanked up his head and brushed them away. "No, I won't cry! It's not helping, and neither is just sitting here! I've got to stop it, and do something else. But…I don't know what to do. I just exchanged the man I was in love with for ages for a chance with a man whom I've loved for less than half a year!"

In a nearby park, Yami was taking out his hurt on a small tree, nearly snapping off a branch with a particularly strong kick. He had a strong urge to commit murder on the next person he saw…"So, he loves someone else now."

Yami gave the poor tree another kick before throwing himself down on the grass and resting his head on his knees. "Leave, Seto."

The CEO settled on the ground, ignoring the former Pharaoh's snappish tone. "I can go for a walk anywhere I like. Hurts like hell, doesn't it? Don't worry, it'll pass." //That's what I hope, anyway. //

"As much as I appreciate the irony in this situation, Seto, I don't need this now."

"I'm not trying to torture you. I'm trying to be sympathetic."

"You weren't cheated on…" Yami mumbled to his knees.

Seto's eyes widened. "Yugi cheated on you? Yugi?" Yami growled softly. "Relax…Well, at least that explains why he's been strange, and why Ryou and Bakura keep giving each other those secret looks."

"They knew before I did…? Why did he do it? "

Seto shrugged. "Maybe it was just a little too late, you know? You can't expect Yugi to follow you around like he was your spaniel forever. He's got a right to love whoever he wants, anyway."

"Shut up," said Yami, rather half-heartedly. "I know that. Was there ever a greater fool than me?"

Seto touched his shoulder gently. "You… weren't stupid. Just… in love. I know what that can do to a person. I-" Seto was the second person that day to be cut off by Yami's kiss. For a few seconds, Seto felt himself slip, responding to the kiss, letting Yami taste him and let the Pharaoh run his capable hands down his back, then, remembering he was trying to get over the former Pharaoh, not fall in love again, he pulled back. "Yami-" That was as far as he got, because Yami simply kissed him again. "Stop-" Yami wasn't having any of it. He continued stealing kisses until Seto shoved him away and smacked him across the face, hard. "Stop. You're doing this because you're lonely and hurt, and in light of our history, I am *not* the best person to seek comfort in. Whenever you remember this you're going to be embarrassed over the lack of control that you had-"

"Who says it's just out of loneliness? Perhaps I, as well as Yugi, was confused as to who I loved. Perhaps the love I felt for him was fleeting, or simply the love of my other half, the love of a cherished friend, perhaps not that of a lover." Seto held up a hand. "Don't even think about going there, Yami. Just don't. You're just trying to prove to yourself that you don't need Yugi."

"How would you know about such things? Perhaps it comes from first hand experience?" Seto had no witty retort, just rather pathetic ones, so he stayed silent and got to his feet. "Seto-."

"No. We both know that it wouldn't be right."

Yami jumped up and kicked the tree again. "Forget what is 'right' for a minute. I left you in the first place because it 'wasn't right'. And now neither of us are happy."

"I *am* happy! Jounouchi is good to me, I like him! And you're not unhappy because you don't have me! You're unhappy because you don't have Yugi."

"That's why you're unhappy. Jounouchi is no challenge to you; he's 'good' to you. You fully understand him. You simply now 'like' him rather than thinking him as the 'loser'. He's too uncomplicated, and absolutely adores you, so you get bored-but it's hard to get tired of being loved." Yami shrugged. "I happen to know that it's a short path from being bored with a person to being annoyed with them-and it's even easier to start hating them. Why should someone who loves you have to put up with that?" Seto simply stood and said nothing for at least two minutes. Then, voice nearly blown away by a gentle breeze, he asked, "First hand experience?"

Yami shook his head. "I've seen it, long ago, but never have I felt it. It was once said," he paused, "that breaking the heart of your love will put cracks in your own. Only healing of the first heart will heal the second. My heart remains damaged, Seto, therefore leading me to conclude that yours still feels some pain."

"Yami-just stop. It won't work. This is about you and Yugi-it has nothing to do with me." Seto started to walk away, escaping from the piercing gaze of crimson eyes. "What are you so afraid of?"

"Nothing!" //That I'll fall in love with you all over again. Afraid that it's already too late to be worrying about it. // Seto kept walking until he was out of sight.

"Then why are you running?" Yami sank back onto the ground. "I guess that's one thing that we have in common-we both run away from our hurt feelings. Like Kuroi, and Yugi. Perhaps it's not only us."

Bah…Fine, now let's see if I can stop confusing everybody, and actually get their heads on straight. Bye-bye!