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Flashback

"ANZU?!" Groaned Yami. "I don't know why you had a crush on her!" He froze as soon as he had said it, knowing that the words could bring back memories.

"I never liked her, Yami." Yugi said quietly. He opened his stunning eyes and sat up. "I never liked her..." He repeated even softer.

Yugi walked upstairs while Yami sat, stunned. What had Yugi meant? If Yugi didn't like Anzu, who had he liked?

End Flashback



(Yugi's POV)



Yugi couldn't believe that he'd been able to sit that close to Yami. Every warning sign he owned had been gibbering in his head, telling him to get up now, to flee, or else...

The rationalizing part of him knew that Yami would never do that, but every time he swallowed it seemed like his throat was constricting, drawing inward, and soon he wouldn't have any air left.

Yugi drew a comb through his hair, trying to get it to do anything other than standing on end.

Oh, well...



Today was Friday, and Yami was already waiting downstairs for him.

He jumped the stairs two at a time, feeling lighter than he had in weeks. Yugi knew that somehow Yami had found a way to get rid of some of his scars, and he was grateful, but he wasn't about to say anything until Yami did.

"Ready!" Yugi chirped.

Yami stood up, revealing a sapphire muscle shirt and jincos. (A.N. Not Yamis usual outfit but I like it so...)

"Yami, you look really...nice." He said, trying to breathe normal.

It was just that Yami looked so beautiful, but beautiful never meant safe, and he hoped he could last the rest of the night without collapsing.

Yami's POV



Yugi looked magnificent, with a tight jade green shirt and black flare jeans. Yami had to remind himself to start breathing again, remind himself that Yugi was and always would be OFF LIMITS!!!

"S-shall we get going?" He asked, stuttering slightly. Yugi nodded, and they drove to the Kaiba mansion, Yami hoping that this wasn't another ploy to get him to confess his feelings to Yugi; he wouldn't put it past Jou.

When they got to the mansion lights were strung along the path and fireflies were drifting lazily, highlighting the sunset. Seto strode up, Jou in tow. "Hello, Yami, hello Yugi. The guests are all here already, in the reception room."

"Yug! Glad ya could come! I'll take ya inside!" Jou grabbed Yugi's arm and hustled him off into the house, if you could call fifty plus rooms a mere house.

/ /I'll be right there, Yugi!/ /Yami assured his aibou. He tried to walk after the two but Kaiba stepped in front of him.

"Yami! No need to rush inside, or anything. Let's talk!" A smile was plastered over Seto's face like it had been glued there.

"All right..." Said Yami warily. Yugi can call if he needs me, right?



"What do you want to talk about?" Seto looked around before walking a short distance away out of hearing if anyone happened to be walking up the path.

"Well, I have been thinking, and I have a theory. It isnt a happy one, and I would be more than content if it was false. Unfortunately, everything adds up." Said Kaiba slowly, but before he could go on Anzu launched herself at Yami from wherever she had been lurking. Her platform shoes made clomping noises on the concrete.

"YAMI!!! I CANT BELIEVE ITS YOU!!! LETS GO INSIDE AND DANCE!!!

Yami sent a helpless look back at Kaiba before being dragged inside the massive oak doors by Anzu. He regretted giving in to this weird girl, but Yami had a hunch that Seto knew about Yugi.

He had promised his hikari he would never tell anyone, and he didn't intend to break that vow, even to get Yugi help. When he got inside, though, he saw Yugi being terrorized by Jou and about two liters of Jou's hairspray.

"ACK!!!" Yugi spluttered. "That got in my eyes!"

Yami rolled HIS eyes. This was obviously some misguided attempt to set Yugi up with him by making him look good, probably making them dance, and most definitely with spin-the-bottle and other miscellaneous seduction games. In fact, if this didn't have the opportunity to hurt Yugi he might have laughed it off.

Stupid fools! Yami raged. If this gets out of hand or harms my koi in anyway I swear... Wait! Did I just call Yugi my koi??? Crap, I really am hopeless.

Yami jerked his hand out of Anzu's, ignoring her squeal of protest, and walked over to Yugi and Jou.

"Yami! Seto wanted to talk to you about something." Jou told him promptly, trying to shoo him away, but Yugi gave him a relieved look and surged out of the chair.

"Ah, Yami, there you are. I had, er, something I, er, wanted to talk to you about. Yes, that's it. Come on!"

He grabbed Yami's belt gingerly and tried to drag his darker half off, Yami following quickly. They stopped just out of sight, Yugi looking up at the pharaoh.

Yami swallowed hard when he realized that a lock of Yugi's hair, surprisingly silky for the amount of spray on it, was brushing his stomach. Thankfully Yugi quickly stepped back, a faint splotch of red on his cheeks.

"Thanks for getting me out of there!" He breathed. "How much longer 'till this stupid thing is over? I would rather be sitting at home with you."

You wouldn't if you knew my thoughts. Thought Yami grimly. He just had to keep Yugi safe, even from himself.

"Don't worry." He replied out loud. "We can leave in an hour and a half, or when everyone is too drunk to notice, whatever's sooner."

Yugi smiled in relief and they walked back to the party.

Yugi's POV

Thank God Yami is always around to protect me. Without him I'd be toast. He even warned me about the 'punch'. Leave it to Jou to do something like that.

Yugi smiled at Ryou, who was sitting next to him on the couch. Unfortunately for Yugi, though, Ryou was neither drunk nor unassuming.

He had caught Yugi and his darker half trying to sneak out three times now, had managed to stop them from leaving from sheer force of will, and had apparently been assigned as watchdog. That was fine with Yugi, as long as Ryou didn't try to bring up any sort of subject related to sex, or try to talk about Yami.

Yugi chuckled to himself. If Ryou was Yugi's watchdog, Bakura was Yami's, and that couldn't be a good thing, as Yami had been slugged twice.

/Holding up?/ He asked.

/ /ARG! Stupid Bakura's trying to make me drink the punch!/ / Yami mentally screamed.

"Ryou!" Yugi laughed. "Your yami is trying to make mine drink spiked punch. Could you please tell him to stop? I'm not strong enough to carry him home, after all."

Ryou nodded thoughtfully. "No, that wouldn't encourage-I mean, that would be a bad thing! Bad yami!"

Yugi laughed. He knew that Ryou had meant that wouldn't be good for any romantic notions the others had planning, but Yugi didn't mind.

Sure Yami was handsome and strong and kind but Yugi was broken and used and unclean and- he forced the thoughts from his mind. Seto was speaking now.

"All right, people, gather together in the middle. Form a circle. Go! Go!"

Yugi stood up with the rest and sat down next to Yami. He willed his body to unfreeze and let him lean on Yami's shoulder but it wouldn't listen, so he sat stiffly.

"We're playin Truth or Dare, people! If someone answers Dare it's normal, but if they schoose truth we have an interestin' little list of questions in this had and ya get to pick one!" Snickered Jou. "We'll start with me. Seto. Truth or Dare?" Jou's boyfriend groaned and looked at Jou a moment before answering "Dare".

Everyone smiled. Seto was always like that, taking a challenge but never wanting to reveal too much about himself. Before Pegasus Yugi hadn't understood the Kaiba brother at all, but now he thought he knew why Kaiba did it. Showing vulnerability was never a good thing.

"Alright, Luv, here's whatcha gotta do!" Jou cracked his knuckles. "Find a pretty maid and squack like a chicken in front of her!" Mai groaned, and so did Kaiba.

"Come on, Jou!" Mai drawled. "Think of something original for once! She flipped her blonde hair back, hitting Otogi in the face, but Kaiba got up with a smile.

He pushed a little button on the wall and a pretty young woman in a black and white outfit walked in, a timid smile on her lips. "Bwak! Bok-Bok- Bokka!!!!" Kaiba screeched.

The maid's eyes widened and she took a step back as her master strutted around her squawking like a chicken. She fled down the hallway as laughter erupted in the living room.

Kaiba took a bow to his audience before giving Jou a peck on the lips. They sat down and Seto looked around to choose the next victim.

"Yugi!" He proclaimed. "Truth or Dare?" Yugi felt his stomach sink. Something told him that this wasn't a coincidence, that Seto and Jou had been planning this moment since he had told them he and Yami were coming.

/ /Aibou? You don't have to do anything you don't want to./ / Said Yami, a concerned look on his face.

/It's all right, Yami.../ He replied, thinking.

If he chose Dare they'd probably make him kiss Yami, or something like that. "Truth!" He said softly.

Seto grinned and drew a slip of paper from the 'Truth Hat'.

"Awww, we all know the answer to this one!" Whined Jou, reading the paper over his boyfriend's shoulder, honey eyes dulled in disappointment.

Seto, sending Yami an apologetic glance, read it aloud. "Have you had sex with anyone, and if so, who?"

Yugi gulped; it seemed the never-ending streak of bad luck had influenced yet another event.

I don't want to tell them. They have no right to know, and if they find out, they'll abandon me, just like he said. Yugi pictured his friends all turning their backs on him, shutting him out of their lives.

Yugi! Don't answer it! You don't have to!Yami sent to him urgently.

Yugi smiled sadly. Apparently the Gods meant for him to be a Pariah; farbeit for him to thwart their wishes.

"I have." He tried to say it strongly, but it came out in a tiny quiver, hardly enough for anyone to hear.

He could feel the red curtains shutting him in again, drawing the life from his soul and making him into a mannequin, only good for one thing.

He opened his eyes, seeing the shocked looks from everyone. Jou's mouth was hanging open to the floor, and for once Anzu was speechless. Bakura and Marik were exchanging glances. Only Yami appeared unaffected by the revelation, but Yugi could feel his anger.

Seto kneeled down next to him, softly repeating part of the question. "Who?" He asked in a voice not over a whisper.

Yugi shrunk back, trying to scoot away, but Yami was in his way. Kaiba was too close!

The Ceo's eyes were like Pegasus's, so sharp Yugi was afraid he'd be cut, or even be shattered like a mirror, until he was gone, all gone, but Yami moved in front of him so fast Yugi only saw a blur.

"We are leaving, now." He said in a voice that could have frosted a window pane. "Yugi has had enough for one night." Yami scooped up his hikari and strode out quickly, so quickly that they were in the car before Yugi's sobs could start.

TBC