Disclaimer: Just own the words, not the folks.

Why They Don't

From my living room window, I have an incredible view of the ocean. I cherish it. Sometimes, when my life is too much to handle, I just stand here and look out the window for a while. It always works to clear my head and make me feel better.

I've stood here everyday for some period of time for the past six weeks. My head is still full of worries and I feel awful.

"Jii-chan?"

"Yes, Yugi?" He responds from behind his newspaper. I'm really glad he came to visit earlier this month. Maybe I can convince him to stay more than his planned two months or even to move here permanently.

"I miss him," I confess, staring at the waves crashing against the shore, reveling in the warm breeze through the open window.

"Well," he begins, folding the newspaper to pay more attention to me, "I'm sure he wouldn't mind hearing from you. Why don't you call him?"

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because he lives with Kaiba."

"Really now!" Jii-chan replies a little shocked.

"It's not like that, Jii-chan," I admonish, turning to frown at him. At least I don't think it is. Though they were sometimes a little touchy-feely when we were in school. And it would explain Kaiba's beating up Jou if Jii-chan's right and Yami didn't plan it.

"Well, why don't you call on his cell?" Jii-chan suggests helpfully.

"After what happened with Jou, I deleted it," I affirm, turning back to the window. It really is a beautiful day. I wish I could enjoy it more.

"Yugi," Jii-chan calls after several minutes of silence.

"Hmm?"

"I can help you if you really want to call him," he states somberly. I spin to face him, wrinkling my brow in confusion.

"What do you mean, Jii-chan?"

"I talk to Yami at least twice a week since I've been here, Yugi," he admits.

"What!"

Suddenly I'm angry, but I'm not sure why. Is it because he's been speaking to Yami behind my back or is it because Yami had the nerve to contact him?

"He asks about you all the time, Yugi."

"Well, he can go to hell!" I scream.

"Why are you so angry, Yugi? Didn't you just say that you missed him?"

"I don't care!" I scream louder. Gods, I sound like a two-year old! What's wrong with me? Am I jealous that my Jii-chan has had more time with him than I have? But that's what I wanted, isn't it; to be away from him? So why should I care?

Shit! I need to get out of the house for a while.

"I'm going for a swim," I grumble, storming out the front door, not caring that all I have to swim in under my t-shirt and jean shorts are my boxers. They'll just have to do.

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I glance at him over my menu as he scans his own, the usual light scowl on his face. Actually, I don't think he has the scowl all the time, just around anyone other than Mokuba and me.

Wow. Does that put me in Mokuba's class of importance?

Right. Talk about delusions of grandeur.

"I'd like to eat sometime tonight, Yami," he grumbles, slapping his closed menu on the table impatiently.

"I just don't know what I want," I retort, flipping another page of the extensive menu.

"You've been looking at that thing like it holds the secrets of the pyramids," he scoffs. "It's not like it's changed any since we came here two days ago. Or last week. Or the week before that. We've been here enough in the last month that you should have it memorized by now!"

"Whatever, Kaiba," I snip.

"Is there a reason you can't seen to remember not to call me that? It's Seto. S-E-T-O. Not difficult at all."

"Yes, K-A-I-B-A. I know," I smirk, peering over the menu at him. It's always fun to push his buttons and see how far I can get before he really gets mad.

"That's it!" he snaps. "Give me that!"

He's snatched the menu and thrown it across the room before I can react.

"Now, I'll order for you," he declares, waiving our now terrified waiter over.

I should be mad, but it's so funny to see him lose it sometimes, that all I can do is hide my smile behind my hand as he tells the waiter what we're eating. I'm fine until he looks at me and then I can't help but let out a quick bark of laughter. He glares a moment, and then shakes his head in disbelief.

"Sorry, Seto," I smirk. "It's just so much fun watching you react, that I can't help teasing you a little."

"It would be nice if you didn't do it in public. I could have killed someone with that menu. My hands are lethal weapons, you know," he glowers.

"So's your breath," I taunt, jumping from the table and running to the bathroom. I'll probably have to find another way home, but it was worth it to see that look on his face! I couldn't help it; he just walked right into that joke! I laugh out loud to myself, remembering his face again. As the bathroom door opens, I calm down and exit the stall where I was sitting, meaning to head back out and take my punishment like a man. Instead I find myself face to face with a grinning Seto Kaiba.

Uh, oh.

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I'm starving.

Thanks to Yami, I didn't get any dinner. Worse, I've been banned from one of my favorite restaurants! Well, at least for the foreseeable future. Once Yoshi calms down, he'll call and invite me back. After all, I am his biggest patron and the reason people started going there in the first place. All it took was one paparazzi photo of me exiting with something other than a frown and his place became an instant hit.

Besides, they had Kiriko making the gazpacho again and she always adds too much salt. Yami's head probably improved the flavor.

'So's your breath', my ass. See if I feed him anytime soon.

I guess I'll pick up some ramen or something on the way home. It's almost 10 o'clock. Mokuba should be back from his ski trip by the time I get there. Maybe I should get enough for Yami too.

Nah. Let him stay hungry. He deserves it.

'So's your breath.'

Like he's ever gotten close enough to know what my breath smells like.

Well, there was that time when he had to practically carry me to my room. We were pretty close then.

After three weeks, he's still hasn't said anything about it. Maybe he thinks I was too asleep to remember it. I wish I could say I was. I wish I could stop smelling vanilla every time he walks into the room. And wondering what it would have been like to sleep with his warm body next to mine.

What the hell is wrong with me? Yami's my friend. That's it. Friend. Nothing else.

Shit. I passed the ramen place. I'll have to turn back. I'm too hungry to skip food tonight. That was last night's sacrifice for Kaiba Corp.

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Nii-sama came in at 10:30 pm with ramen, sans Yami. That was weird because we usually eat at Yoshi's place on Saturday's. He didn't look mad or anything. Actually, he looked rather pleased. I don't find out why until Yami comes in 20 minutes later with some sort of red paste in his hair and covering half of his clothes.

At the sight, Nii-sama bursts out laughing. Really laughing! Whatever happened, I'm glad. Just to see that for the first time in more than five years has to be worth it.

Yami doesn't seem to agree because he pushes Nii-sama out of his chair onto the floor and starts shaking his hair on him. Nii-sama continues to snicker as he puts up his arms to protect himself from the onslaught of whatever that stuff is falling out of Yami's hair. After a few minutes, Nii-sama wrestles Yami down to the floor, tickling him mercilessly. I laugh with them until I note the similarities to that night I found them on Nii-sama's bedroom floor. They must realize it too, because they stop laughing abruptly. Yami is underneath Nii-sama who's kneeling over his torso, one leg on each side, with one hand holding both of Yami's wrists as the other runs across his stomach, made bare by Nii-sama pulling up Yami's shirt to tickle him.

They both scramble up and disappear from the kitchen.

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I glance at the phone number Jii-chan gave me. Yami's cell. I want to call him, but I'm not sure if I should. I was pretty final with my good-bye. How would it look if I went back on my word?

And what would I do about Jou and Mai? I just spoke to them yesterday about coming to visit this summer. I don't want to lose them as friends, but I waited so long for Yami to finally come home, how could I just walk away now?

Well, I guess I already did, really.

That's why I'm not sure I should call. Maybe Yami has accepted that I'm out of his life now, and it would just be awkward to talk to me. Besides, he has Kaiba now. And it is obvious Kaiba considers him important. I mean he got arrested for him!

I look at the number again and calculate the time in my head. It should be about 7:30 in the evening there. Taking a breath, I dial the number from Jii-chan's cell. Just in case he's still upset with me I don't want him not to answer or hang up because he sees my number.

"Hi, Jii-chan!" He answers cheerfully. "What are you doing calling so late? It must be almost midnight in Hawaii."

"It's me, Yami," I say quickly and am met by silence.

"Why are you calling, ai-um Yugi? Is something wrong with Jii-chan?" He questions grimly, all mirth leached from his voice.

"Actually, I just wanted to talk to you, Yami."

"About what?"

"Just wanted to see how you're doing."

Gods, what a stupid thing to say! I know how he's doing! He's hurt and angry and it's my fault! I'm such an idiot.

"How I'm…doing, Yugi?" he questions coolly. "Let's see, how should I be doing, since my other half dismissed me?"

"Yami…"

"What do you want, Yugi? Why did you really call? Were you hoping that I'd decided to have nothing more to do with Seto and come running to Hawaii to be with you and join the 'I hate Kaiba' fan club?"

"Seto? Since when do you call him 'Seto'," I question, now very curious about their "friendship". What if they really are together?

"As if that's any of your business, Yugi. If I want to call my friend by his first name and he doesn't mind, why should you care? And if I don't mind being tickled or wrestling with him and actually enjoy it, why should I explain any of that to you!"

"Wrestling? What's going on with you two, Yami? Are you going out now?" Maybe Jii-chan jumped to the right conclusion after all!

"That's none of your business, Yugi," he spits.

"I'm sorry, Yami. I shouldn't have walked out on you. I was wrong," I offer humbly.

Dead silence.

"Whatever, Yugi," he mumbles and hangs up.

Well, he didn't tell me to 'go to Hell', so maybe…

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I throw my cell into the corner of my room and flop on my bed.

This has been a hell of a few days.

First there was that…that…whatever that was with Seto on Saturday. Then the call from the Museum on Monday saying they won't need me until February 15th, which equals another month of mooching off of Seto. And now I get this weird call from Yugi. I finally start dealing with life without him and he wants to be my aibou again.

Well, Seto did say something about Yugi realizing he was being an ass eventually. I guess he was right.

Now if I could just figure out why I enjoyed being flat on my back under Seto when he's just my friend.

That's it. Friend. Nothing else.

Maybe if I say it enough times, I'll believe it.