Dear Readers; This story may be (probably very likely to be) greatly out of character. But you people probably already assumed that since it's one of my stories, right? Anyway. Thought I'd say it.

Familiar Faces

**

The Motou residence was blissfully quiet (because Yugi had yelled at Bakura to shut the damned door if he and Yami were going to do that). The sun shone brilliantly though the windows, the shafts of light seeming to sparkle as they lit up the house. Yugi was feeling deliciously cranky.

Mid-afternoon, and the phone hadn't rung all day. Seto hadn't called. No explanations as to why he hadn't shown up yesterday, no apologies, nothing. Yugi plopped down on the couch. Maybe Seto was angry at him after all.

Yugi pouted. Why hadn't Seto called? Or shown up to talk to him? Or something? Yugi got up to pace the room again. Didn't Seto still like him? Yugi snatched up the phone, then sighed and set it back down again. If Seto hadn't called him by now, Yugi certainly wasn't going to call him. Seto had to be mad at him. It was the only explanation.

Though the explanation for why Seto was mad at him was unclear.

He sat back down on the couch, staring at his sneakers. Why hadn't Seto called?

**

Why hadn't Yugi picked up the phone?

Kaiba hung up the telephone after listening to the automated "the number you have dialed is unavailable" for the sixty-millionth time. What had Yugi done, unplugged the telephone or something? Seto had spent all day trying to get in contact with Yugi. After Bakura had closed the door in his face, Seto had tried to call Yugi- with no success whatsoever.

Kaiba sighed and plopped down on the couch. Yugi must really be mad at him for forgetting about their plans yesterday. He and Yugi hadn't had the easiest of relationships, but Yugi had never tried to completely shut him out before like this. Of course, Seto had never been so totally wrapped up in work he'd forgotten his own boyfriend, either.

Well, okay, hadn't recently, anyway. And maybe that was the problem. Maybe Yugi was tired of Seto always being too busy. Relationships ended over that sort of thing all the time, didn't they?

"Still not answering, huh?" Mokuba asked, wandering into the living room.

Seto glared at the telephone. "I think his line must be disconnected or something."

"Or maybe he wants you to think that so he can avoid talking to you."

"Mokuba!"

"What?" Mokuba shrugged. "He could. You tried his cell phone with no luck too, right?"

Seto sighed. "Right… I really messed up this time, didn't I, Mokuba?"

"You should go to his house and try to talk to him again," Mokuba suggested. "And if Bakura won't let you talk to Yugi this time, get an arrest warrant on him for holding your boyfriend for ransom or something."

Seto smiled at Mokuba, getting up to go get his coat. "Thanks Mokuba. You always know just what to say."

Mokuba beamed. "So… can I get a raise on my allowance?"

"Don't push it, Mokuba…"

**

"Finally!" Yugi leapt up from the couch and ran all the way to the door before the doorbell was finished chiming. He paused before opening it, however, to catch his breath so he wouldn't seem too eager. Waiting for his pulse to slow, Yugi took a few deep breaths, trying to compose himself.

Yes, Yugi loved Seto, but Seto had left Yugi waiting for hours out front of the school, and then failed to call and profusely apologize. So after Yugi had quelled the urge to leap at his boyfriend and make-out with him on the porch, in broad daylight where anyone walking down the street could see, he put on his best you'd-better-have-a-good-excuse face and opened the door.

Except it wasn't Kaiba on the porch. In the place where Seto should be standing waiting to profusely apologize was Duke Devlin.

Yugi blinked at him, then smiled politely. It wasn't Duke's fault that he was not Seto. "Hi Duke. I wasn't expecting you."

Duke smiled at him, but it looked a little forced. "Yeah, hi Yugi. I, uh, tried calling, but I think your phone is busted or something."

Yugi stared at him. "My phone is busted?" His phone was broken?! Hope flared anew within Yugi. Maybe Seto had called him! Maybe he'd tried calling all day but couldn't get through because Yugi's phone was broken! "That's great!"

Duke blinked at him. "It is?"

Yugi laughed. "Er, well, I mean, it's great to see you! You don't come over all that often, and- yeah. What brings you over today?"

"Yeah, about that. See, Yugi, I've been thinking a lot lately and…" Duke took a deep breath. "I think I'm in love with you."

Yugi stared. And remembered to breathe after a minute. And smiled very faintly. "Will you excuse me a moment?"

Duke nodded. Yugi kept smiling as he stepped back and closed the door. He leaned back against the door, staring at the carpeting. Then, "Yami! I have a problem!!"