Angelus Fletus Est (English translation: Angel Weeping)

Wow!!! I never thought I'd get this many reviews in so short a time! 39! *Dies* Thank you all SO MUCH! *glomps reviewers*

Well, here is chapter two, well ahead of schedule. I apologize for the sappy-ness of it...I wrote this chapter and the next couple when I was depressed ^.^;. So...lots of angst and sap (lol). R&R and enjoy!

Oh, yes. There will be a lot of flashbacks in these chapters. What, you didn't think I wouldn't explain some things, did ya?! ^_~.

\Thoughts\

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Seto held Yugi to him, resting his chin on Yugi's head as the boy sobbed into his jacket. \How *dare* they\ he thought angrily. \How DARE they hurt him like this. Especially his yami! The way he treats his hikari is despicable!\

He held the small teen closer as he thought back to earlier that day.

~*~"So, anyway, guys, I was wonderin' if you'd all like to hang out at the arcade with me. When my shift's over, we can eat out, then head on over to my place to watch a movie or something," Tristan said, grinning.

Everyone voiced his or her assent, Yami making a joke about defeating Joey once again in their favorite arcade game. Seto was about to agree with Yami when he noticed Yugi sitting at his desk, alone, drawing. It was plain that he was listening, the wistful expression on his face gave away his wanting to join them.

"What about Yugi?" He said. He noticed Yugi's hand jerk, and the wistful expression change to one of surprise and hopefulness. It was then that the realization hit hard. \Yugi hasn't joined in anything we do lately. Nobody seems to want him around\ He was willing to bet that the mere fact that Yugi had been mentioned at all had put him in better spirits.

The bell rang then, interrupting his thoughts.

_-_-_-_-_-_

Seto had kept an eye on Yugi all day, watching him. By lunch, he had a strong feeling that his small classmate was really having a hard time. It showed in the way his head drooped, the way he looked up hopefully whenever he was mentioned, by name or by reference. He didn't eat with the group anymore, he just went off to a small table off to the side to eat, occasionally glancing sadly at his former seat in the middle of the crowd, now occupied by Yami.

By the end of the day, the feeling had grown into absolute certainty. And he'd had just about enough.

Seto walked out of the school with his friends, noticing that Yugi kept back, like that one geeky kid in elementary school who hung around the popular kids, hoping to be noticed and included. It sickened him to no end to see his yami chatting nonchalantly and joking around, not caring how his aibou felt.

"So, everyone ready?" Tristan's voice rang out suddenly.

"Sorry, guys, I need to get home" Ryou said. "Yami said he has plans."

"Ok. Tell him we said hi." Said Joey. "How bout you, Seto?"

Seto decided to indirectly challenge Yami.  "How about your hikari, Yami? I notice he hasn't been hanging out with us lately." The hopeful look on the said hikari's face was almost heart wrenching.

He was shocked by the answer he received. "Oh who *cares*. Let's just *go* already." Said Tea.

Joey shrugged. "Yea, let's go! I wanna kick your ass in that game, Yami! So Seto, coming or not?"

By this time, Seto had had it. He couldn't stand to be around those fools any longer. "No. I have some work to catch up on." He decided that he'd really throw the fat into the fire. "Although I don't see why you want me to come so badly and you don't seem to care about your supposed best friend at all. Wouldn't Yugi be a better arcade companion?"


 "Dude, go hang out with him if you care so much" said Tristan rather exasperatedly. "But frankly, I don't see why you bother." Seto stared at him for a moment in shock. Then he shrugged.

"Whatever. Catch you tomorrow." It was the best he could do without blowing his mind.

He watched the five walk off, Ryou splitting off in the direction of his home. \I've watched this long enough. It was Yugi who showed me the heart of the cards, Yugi who showed me what it was to be a real friend. And I'll be damned if I throw that in his face like the rest of them.\ He looked around, planning on inviting Yugi over to hang out with him and Mokuba. But the said person was nowhere to be seen.

Seto scanned the surrounding area, his eyes finally catching on a spiky-haired figure, running in the opposite direction of the others. He was already quite far away. Seto didn't feel the need to hurry. He knew where he would go.

It was a place he himself had often gone to, when his own pain, his own indecisiveness, had grown to be too much. A peaceful, completely secluded spot in the large city park, it had often soothed his raging emotions with its peaceful tranquility. At one point, he had come there and seen Yugi himself, sitting alone by the small stream, eyes closed. Not wanting to disturb the peaceful scene, Seto had left.

Yes, Yugi would go there. He pulled out his cell phone and quickly dialed Mokuba.

"Big brother?"

"Hey Mokuba. I just want you to know that I'll be somewhat late. I have a few things to do before I get home."

"Sure thing, Seto. See you then." He hung up. Then he set off at a good pace toward the park, and hopefully toward his...friend.

_-_-_-_-_-_

Seto crept quietly through the foliage and trees, coming up to the seemingly solid wall of bushes, ivy, and trees. Not many knew that behind this outwardly impassible wall was the small sanctuary that had calmed Seto's nerves so many times before. Now he stood at this "wall", peering through the small hole in the ivy that he'd found.

It gave a good view of the entire little haven, he knew. So he looked through.

He was met by the sight of Yugi, standing, his face uplifted to the sky, an expression of intense pain and sorrow on it. "Show me someone who cares!" he screamed at the sky. "Let me see just one person who is thinking about me right now! Just one!"

Yugi fell to his knees, obviously trying not to cry. "Just one..." he whispered. The despair in his voice, the quiet anguish, nearly broke Seto's heart. \I had no idea...no idea that Yugi would take things so hard...but, then again, this has been going on for a while. He must feel so alone...lord knows I did...\

Yugi's voice broke through Seto's thoughts.  "I want to see someone who cares." His voice rose, and Seto could hear the intense emotion.  "I want someone to tell me to my face that I'm not nothing." He got up again, his voice rising steadily with every word. There were tears in his eyes; Seto could feel that there were tears in his own also.  "I want someone to tell me that I'm worth something! I want someone to look me in the eye and say that they truly care!" he started walking towards the stream, his back to Seto. "I want someone to look me STRAIGHT IN THE EYE and TELL me that they'll be there! That they wont leave me!" Yugi tripped suddenly and went sprawling.

Seto was frozen in shock at what Yugi had said. \My god...that poor kid...he's been overlooked and neglected for so long\

Yugi raised himself to his knees, a miserable whimper escaping his lips. "I want...I want someone...someone to look me in the eye...and say that...to say that they love me." Then he broke down sobbing, falling back to the ground. Seto felt his heart break for the boy on the ground. \If only I had seen this sooner...no, I cant think like that...\ Seto came to the realization suddenly. \Holy...I really care about him. I do...and I'm actually glad, because he needs someone who does\

Yugi suddenly raised his head, quiet tears streaming down his cheeks in rivers. "I...I can cry..." he whispered, almost amazed. "I haven't been able to cry for so long..." Seto saw a parallel between them both. \I haven't cried in years...my tears have been used up. Could it be that Yugi feels the same way?\

 "I have no friends, much less faithful ones."  He must have been reminiscing. His head dropped back down on top of his arms. "I've only been fooling myself these past couple years. Who on earth cares for weak, naïve little Yugi Motou?"

Seto couldn't take it any longer. On impulse, Seto crept quietly forward, knowing exactly how to push the vines out of the way as quietly as possible. He put his hand on Yugi's shoulder.

Yugi tensed, as though he expected some kind of beating. \What has Yami done to him?!\ Seto thought furiously.

A moment passed. Seto debated with himself for a bit, then just decided on an action. Carefully, he drew up his crying classmate into a warm embrace. He tightened his arms when Yugi flinched. "I care, Yugi." He whispered, "I care."

 ~*~

They had been sitting like that for quite some time, Yugi holding Seto's coat tightly in his small hands. Seto just held his...\friend\ Seto thought. \Yugi's my friend. And I need to be one to him as well\. He didn't trust his own voice very much.

Yugi looked up through his tears when Seto shifted his arms a bit. His look changed from misery to surprise.

"S-seto?" He asked timidly.

\By god, he's not afraid of me, is he?\ Seto merely nodded, still not trusting himself to speak.

There was a pause. Then, "W-w-why?" Since when had Yugi stammered like that? \Who knows?\ said a nasty little voice in his head. \Yugi hasn't exactly been talkative lately. Maybe he's lost his courage to speak, since his so-called friends have completely ignored him\

Seto looked at Yugi, a bit puzzled. "Why what?"

Yugi met his eyes for a split second before looking down. "Why d-do you care?"

Seto thought out his answer for a moment before replying. "Because you cared for me when nobody else did. You showed me what it was to be a real friend, and I'll be damned if I throw that in your face like the others did." He paused for a moment. "And because I felt exactly the same way you did, long ago." He didn't think it was a very good answer, but at least it was an honest one.

"D-did you?"

"Yes, I did, Yugi. And I came to this same place, sat in this very spot, and cried myself to sleep here."

Yugi looked up at him, startled. "Really?"

Seto smiled slightly. "Yeah."

They sat there for a moment, just listening to the quiet around them. Then Yugi looked up again, as though he had remembered something. "Seto...why aren't you at the arcade? You could be having a blast beating the crap out of Joey and possibly Yami." His voice broke a bit on the word 'Yami'. "Wouldn't you rather have fun than waste your time with me?"

Seto knew that he didn't mean it as an offense. He was, however, quite shocked as he saw how low his friend's self-esteem had dropped. \If I didn't know Yugi better, I'd say that he'd be suicidal. But he's not...and I know that Yami keeps an eye on him at home at least...hopefully...but he certainly doesn't seem suicidal.\

"I would rather be here now than listening to those hypocritical, self-centered morons." Now, that was solid fact. They sickened him with their selfishness, never looking beyond their tight little circle.

At that moment, Seto's cell phone rang.

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Me: *sighs* yes, that sucked. I wasn't sure where to go with it!!! But oh well. Ya know what to do! R&R!