Chapter Three

It had been two days since Yami had brought Yugi to his home, and in those two days he had learned very little, other then Yugi's name and age. Yami was a bit surprised to find the younger man was only two years younger then he was. But whenever Yami tried to get Yugi to talk about his past, the boy would ignore him and talk about something else, or he would begin to cry. So Yami thought it was best to leave him alone, and let him talk about whatever it was that was bothering him when he was ready. But he still could not get the nagging questions out of his mind.

"Who hurt you so bad that you bear the marks on your skin and soul? Who caused you so much pain, that you thought the only way to escape was through death? Who caused you to stop trusting in love and your friends?" Yami said softly.

He was pulled from his thoughts as he heard a knock on his door. Looking at the clock he sighed, knowing who it was. He pulled himself off the couch, went to the door, and opened it before the person on the other side broke his door down.

"Forgot your key again Jou," Yami said with a smirk.

Growling, the taller boy pushed his way past Yami, and tossed his bag on the nearby chair before flopping down on the sofa.

"No, I just thought it would be fun to stand out there knocking on the door until my arm went numb. Now what's there to eat?" he said, turning on the TV.

Shaking his head, Yami shut the door and went to the kitchen to begin getting breakfast together. He knew that Yugi would awaken soon, and would be hungry. As he cooked, he thought about his strange friendship with Jou. At first glance you would not think the two of them would be so close. Yami with his tough but quiet ways, and Jou with loud, gruff ways. But Yami knew that had it not been for Jou, he would be dead, or just a broken shell. As he told Yugi that first night, if not for the love of his friends, he would not be here. Jou was the one who saved him, saved him for the path he had placed himself on.

Flashback:

Jou stood outside Yami's door, waiting for the other boy to answer his door. He had been knocking on it for the last two minutes and had yet to hear some kind of noise from inside. He was worried, for it was not like Yami not to answer the door, when they agreed to meet here at this time to go over some lessons for school. Finally, not able to take it anymore, he began to look for the hidden key that he knew Yami always kept.

Finding it under the flower pot, he opened the door and stepped inside into a living nightmare. He shut the door behind him, and stared at the mess the apartment was in. Empty vodka bottles lined the sink and kitchen counters. Glass littered the floor beneath his feet. He looked down, and grew pale at the trail of crimson he saw leading to the bedroom. Spurring himself into motion, he ran into the bedroom and threw the door open. What he saw shocked him once again into stillness. Lying on the floor at the foot of the bed was Yami, and beneath him lay a puddle of blood.

Running to his friend's side, Jou fell to his knees, his eyes looking for the cause of all the blood. He looked down at his friend's arms and swore. Running along the length of each arm was a long cut, which was still bleeding.

"Damn it Yami, why did you do this?" Jou said out loud, while he ran to get something to try to stop the blood. Running to the bathroom he grabbed some towels and water, and quickly went back to his friend's side. Taking the water, he cleaned the area as best as he could, but the blood would not stop flowing. Knowing it was a race against time, he took the remaining towels and wrapped both the arms up.

"I hope that works. Now stay with me Yami. I am going to call for help," he said, running back out into the living room to call for an ambulance.

End Flashback

Jou had managed to save his life that day. The doctors had said that if he had gotten to the hospital any later that it would have been too late. Yami owed Jou his life, in more ways then one.

He was pulled once again out of his thoughts as the bedroom door opened, and a sleepy eyed Yugi walked out. He was still dressed in just his sleepwear and had a blanket wrapped around him. Jou had stood up from the couch, and was just staring at the young man in shock. Yugi had yet to see Jou, as he slowly made his way to the kitchen.

"Good morning Yugi. Did you sleep well last night?" Yami said with a small smile.

Yugi nodded his head, and after looking to see that breakfast was being made, turned to head to the couch when he saw Jou for the first time. His eyes grew wide, and, letting out a small shriek, he ran into the bedroom, slamming the door behind him.

Yami could not help but laugh at the stunned look on Jou's face, and the expression of shock that covered Yugi's face. He had to hold on to the counter for support as he was laughing so hard he could not stand on his own.

"Yami, who was that kid?" Jou asked as he walked in to the kitchen.

Finally able to breathe once again, Yami answered him. "That is Yugi. He will be staying here for a few days," was all he said. He didn't think it was his place to tell Jou what had happened, for he didn't know how his young friend would take to that.

Jou could see there was more to the story, but did not press, knowing that when it came to keeping secrets, Yami was the best at it. He never once betrayed one's trust in you, no matter the cost.

Jou was about to speak again when the bedroom door opened once more. Yugi now stood there, dressed and looking fresh. He blushed and came into the kitchen and sat at the table before speaking.

"I am sorry for my earlier actions. You just got me off guard," he said with a small frown.

"No need to worry. We could blame Yami for not telling either of us that the other was here. So let's call it even and think of a way to get back at him for it," Jou said with a wink.

"Hey now, I am right here you know. I can hear every word you're saying. And why would I have told you? I would have missed the best expression on your face," Yami said as he smacked Jou on the back of the head.

"OW! You moron that hurt. Fine, you want to play dirty, then watch your back, for me and Yugi here are going to get you back. So beware," Jou said, glaring and sitting at the table next to Yugi.

"Sure you will. I will make sure to keep that in mind, when your plan backfires on you," Yami smirked, setting the food on the table. A small laugh was heard, as Yugi tried to keep it in. Yami smiled to himself, for it was the first time the child had laughed since he had been brought here. That was just like Jou to make someone feel comfortable around him, and to make sure they were not sad. Everyone was soon eating and talking with each other. But this good mood was about to change as a knock was heard on the door.