Official Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. Making no money whatsoever so please put the lawyers away. ^_^

Sorceress of Midnight Skies: Hey everyone! ^_^ Guess what my B-day is this weekend!! LOL!! So I'm giving you guys a present, a long chapter. A longer chapter filled with the content you guys have been waiting for! Cool, huh? Well as a present to me, how about some reviews! ^_~ Thank you all for the reviews, I loved them all. Many thanks to: Rekkaboziegirl, YumeTakato, DarkRiver, Azurite, Serenity Komoshiro, DarkFlareKitsune, Mamono (Oh and Mamono, the end of the chapter is for you. You'll see when you get there), Mokuba's Official Glomper, and Just This Once. I appreciate all of your reviews! Now on to the chapter! ^_^

Chapter 9- Yugi's Confession

            Yugi's eyes slowly opened as he felt too warm in his sheets to be comfortable anymore. He turned his head slightly to look out his window to see the day nice and bright outside. He slowly rose from his bed, his body seemed to ache more as his illness progressed. He put on some jeans and a white t-shirt. He glanced at his reflection in the mirror. His skin was pale, his eyes had circles around them and they look very listless. He headed downstairs toward the kitchen to see his Grandpa making breakfast.

            "Yugi, breakfast is almost ready." He told him as soon as he heard Yugi enter the kitchen.

            "Thanks Grandpa, but I'm not hungry." Yugi told him.

            "Yugi, you have to eat." His Grandpa told him anxiously, turning to look at him.

            "People live to eat and well there isn't much of a point for me to…" He broke off on his sentence. He saw the saddened expression on his Grandfather's face. "Sorry Grandpa." Yugi apologized. "I didn't mean…all right I'll have a bit of breakfast." He sat down at the table as his Grandfather set a plate of food down in front of him.

            He ate a bit of his food as his Grandfather watched him. Ugh, he didn't want to eat. Having food in his stomach was making him extremely nauseous. Just when he was going to tell his Grandpa that he couldn't possibly swallow another piece of food, the doorbell rang. "I'll get it." Yugi said as he quickly rose from the table.

            Yugi walked to the front door of the Game Shop and pulled it open.

            "Hey Yug." Joey greeted him cheerfully.

            "Hey Joey." Yugi replied. "Come on in." He stepped back to let Joey into the shop.

            "So Yug what did ya want to talk to me about?" Joey asked him as he stepped into the shop.

            "Um about something." Yugi replied vaguely. "Do you want anything to drink?"

            "Yeah, a soda it's kinda hot outside." Joey told him.

            "All right go ahead and go to my room while I get it." Yugi told him.

            "Sure Yug." Joey said as he headed upstairs toward Yugi's room and Yugi headed to the kitchen. Yugi grabbed a soda can from the fridge and headed back upstairs to his room. As soon as he stepped into his room he saw Joey sitting on his bed with a huge grin on his face.

            "So Yug are ya going to tell me all the details on what's goin' on with ya and Téa?" He asked him excitedly.

            Yugi blushed slightly. "Um…no," Yugi told him. "It's not about that." He handed the soda can to him.

            "Well then what?" Joey asked as he popped open the top of the can. He brought the can to his lips and took a deep drink of the soda. "Dat's better." He said approvingly after the cool soda sated his dry throat. He held the can in his hand as he gazed over at Yugi who stood by the window with his back to him. "So Yug, wats wit da suspense?" Joey inquired.

            Yugi didn't turn around; he kept his eyes looking out onto the outside world. He would soon leave these familiar surroundings forever and all the people he cared about. He took a deep breath and replied to Joey, "Joey's there's something I have to tell you." His amethyst eyes focused on a couple walking hand in hand down the street. He wished he was the guy holding that girl's hand, walking on the street without a care in the world, but he couldn't. His days in this world were limited and it made a bitter smile cross his lips.  

            "Yug, ya can tell me anythin'." Joey told him.

            "Yeah I know I can, but I didn't tell this before because it's not pleasant." Yugi told him somberly.

            "Yug, yer scarin' me." Joey told him. "Ya sound like yer dying or somethin'." He added jokingly a smile on his face.

            Yugi turned around to look at him, his face somber. "I am." Yugi said simply.

            The smile vanished from Joey's face. "Dat's not funny, Yug." Joey told him. Yugi's face was very somber and serious, he wasn't joking. Seeing Yugi's expression made Joey realize that he wasn't joking. The soda can slipped from his fingers, falling with a clank to the ground. Joey rose from the bed and passed by the dropped soda can that was still oozing out its contents. He stood beside his spiky-haired best friend and looked right into his amethyst eyes. "Yug, tell me yer joking! Tell me yer kidding!" Joey told him in a pleading tone. "Please, Yug!"

            Yugi placed his hands on Joey's shoulders and looked onto his anxious friend's face. "I'm sorry Joey, but I'm not joking. I wouldn't joke about something as serious as this." Yugi told him. "A couple of months ago I was diagnosed with a rare blood disease and its slowly killing me." Yugi explained.

            "But Yug, there has to be a cure." Joey told him a hint of hope in his voice.

            Yugi shook his head. "No, sadly there isn't." He told him, his voice cracking.

            "Yug, yer my best friend, I don't want ya to die." Joey said wretchedly as he wrapped his arms around his friend. Tears fell from his brown eyes as he held his friend.

            "I'm so sorry Joey, but it's inevitable." Yugi told him softly, closing his eyes causing his own tears to fall down his cheeks.

            "It's not true." Another voice said in disbelief behind them. Joey and Yugi both broke apart to see a shocked Téa standing in the doorway of Yugi's room.

            "Téa!" Yugi exclaimed shocked while both he and Joey wiped at the tears on their faces. "How long have you been standing there?"

            "Long enough to hear that you're going to die." Téa told him in a hollow sounding voice as she walked toward them, silent tears cascading down her cheeks. "My God, Yugi!" She said as she hugged him. "It can't be true. It can't be true." She muttered as she cried against him.

            "Téa." Yugi and Joey both said softly in unison.

            "I'm afraid it's true." He told her gently.

            "But why?" She sobbed. "You're too young to die! It's not fair!" She held him tighter.

            Joey placed a hand on her shoulder. "Easy Téa, yer not lettin' him breathe." He told her gently.

            "Sorry Yugi." She said softly as she released him.

            "It's okay." He told her compassionately. "I know this is hard on you guys too."

            Téa released a loud sob. "Oh Yugi, you're always worried about others." She told him. "It should be the other way. We should be worried about you." More tears fell down her cheeks and she reached into her purse and pulled out a packet of tissues. She handed one to Joey.

            "Danks Téa." He told her as he took it.

            She handed one to Yugi who nodded as he took it. All three of them wiped at their red and puffy eyes. They stood in silence as they did so. Yugi took the moment to sit down on his bed.

            "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier because I didn't want to worry and upset you guys. I had to tell you because I'm really short on time." He gazed down at the spilt soda that littered his floor.

            "Short on time?" He heard them repeat the words softly.

            "Yes, I am almost out of time." Yugi told them. "That's why I didn't get too serious with you, Téa. It wouldn't be fair to you or to me. Not to mention the time I had left would never be enough to satisfy me." He looked into her blue eyes. "I see the ring on your finger. Did he propose?" Yugi asked her gently.

            Téa nodded her head numbly.

            Yugi smiled. "Congratulations." He told her. "I'm curious though. Why is the ring on your right hand and not on your left?"

            "I haven't decided yet." She told him. "If I should marry him."

            "He's a great man, Téa." He told her.

            Joey scoffed. "Dat creep." He said tightly.

            Yugi chuckled at Joey's comment and smiled warmly at him. "Don't let me be the reason of your hesitation to accept him." Yugi told her. "I want you to be happy and I know Seto will do that."

            "I'm glad to have your blessing, Yugi." She told him quietly. She turned slightly to Joey.

            "If dat creep makes ya happy and since Yug isn't protestin'. I can't either." Joey told her.

            "Thanks guys. I needed to know if you guys would be ok if I married him." She told them. "I have to go." She added. She went to the bed and hugged Yugi. She kissed him on the cheek. She went to Joey and did the same thing. "Bye guys." She said as she walked out of the room.

            "Ya really ok wit her marryin' dat jerk?" Joey asked him.

            Yugi watched Téa's retreating figure. "Yeah, I am." He said truthfully.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            Seto pulled into the driveway of the mansion and turned off his car. It had been another late night at the office and he just wanted to get inside and go to bed. He opened the front door and placed his briefcase beside it. He heard the TV on in the den and headed in that direction. It was too late for Mokuba to be up. When he entered the den he saw Mokuba sprawled out on the couch, the remote control of the TV perilously close to falling from his hand. He quietly walked out went to a near by closet and pulled out a blanket. He unfolded the blanket and placed it on his sleeping little brother. He reached down to take the remote from Mokuba's limp hand and he turned off the television.

            "Seto." He heard Mokuba say in a drowsy voice. Mokuba's sleepy amethyst eyes were gazing at him.    

            "Yeah it's me." Seto said softly. "Go back to sleep. It's late." He added tucking the blanket tighter against him.

            Mokuba yawned and closed his eyes. "Seto, Téa is here." He told him as he drifted back to sleep.

            Téa's here! His heart sped up with the thought. It wasn't uncommon for Téa to be at his house this late. After all she did have her own room here. He just wondered what she would say to him and if she had an answer about his proposal. He headed up the stairs, but not to her room. He wanted to get comfortable before he saw her.

            When he opened the door to his bedroom however he saw his French windows open, the curtains blowing slightly from the breeze outside. He hadn't left them open before. As he walked toward them he saw Téa standing outside on the balcony, her back toward him. He stood there watching her underneath the moonlight. The stars seemed to illuminate her, but then he realized that there were fireflies flying close to her. The wind blew and it gently swayed her hair and it made his dark blue trench coat swell.

            "Téa, are you all right?" He asked her.

            Téa made rapid arm movements as she dried the tears on her face. She turned around to face him. "I'm ok." She told him. "Just not one of my best days." She added with a forced smile.

            Seto looked at her face. Her eyes were red and puffy. "You've been crying." He told her observantly. "A lot." He added as he walked outside to join her on the balcony.

            "Really I'm fine." She told him. "You're home so late tonight. Busy day?" She asked him changing the subject.

            Seto raised an eyebrow at her haste to change the subject. Fine, he wouldn't press her on why she was crying. "Yeah, it was a busy day," He told her gazing out at the darkened sky. "I just wanted to get home and go to bed, but I'm glad to see you here." A small smile appeared on his lips. "Though I'm curious to your visit." He added, turning to look back at her.

            "I came to tell you that I will marry you." Téa told him.

            Seto smiled. "Really?" He asked her.

            She smiled. "Yes, my answer is yes."

            Seto laughed in jubilation. "I'm so glad to hear you say that, Téa." He told her as he hugged her caught up in the emotion and then he released her. "I was worried you were going to say no." He reached out for her hand and moved the ring from her right hand to her left.

            The wind blew again and Téa shivered. "You're cold." Seto told her. He removed his trench coat and placed it around her shoulders.

            "Thank you." Téa told him gratefully. She turned to look up at the moon and stars in the sky. "It's cold, but the night is so beautiful tonight."

            "Yes, it is." Seto agreed. He wrapped his arms around her and held her from behind. "Though not more beautiful then you." He said his lips close to her ear.

            Téa turned her head slightly and looked into his blue eyes. She leaned her face up while Seto brought his down. Their lips brushed gently as they pressed them together for a kiss. With only the moon, stars and flying fireflies around them for company the newly engaged couple held each other on the balcony.

Sorceress of Midnight Skies: Another chapter complete! I hope you guys weren't disappointed. -_- I tried my best, but I think I could have done it a bit better. Ah, well. I didn't want to tweak it to death. Well there are only 2 more chapters left, long ones too. So please review! *puppy dog eyes* LOL!! So until I see you again, have a great weekend and stay safe! Bye! ^_^

Preview of the next chapter: Not this time! ;_; Sowwie!