Chapter Eight

He leadeth you beside still waters, and he pusheth you in

The next day passed with Yuugi lying face down on the bed, immobile. His left-side limbs hung limp over the side of his bed, the pillow case was stiff with drool and tears that collected at random intervals during the day. He neither ate, nor went to the bathroom. Much less anything else. His grandpa went up a few times check up on him, but he got zero response. So Yuugi lay, still as death, if only he weren't breathing.

Somewhere in his mind he whispered melancholy words of morbid comfort. He refused to think anymore than that. Ryou called. The answering machine in Yuugi's room recorded the unmistakable British accent.

But when Monday rolled around Yuugi forced himself to unglue from the mattress and drag his ass to Domino High.

The treacherous path to hell was the same as everyday. This Monday's weather was a lot like the weather on the day he met Yami, face to face. He though alone made Yuugi want to turn around on his heels and run back under the sticky comfort of his sheets. And as tempting and possible this sweet fantasy sounded any hope of carrying it out was lost. For a long haired albino had made his way up to him, embracing him so tightly he was beginning to have trouble breathing.

"Er…Ryou?" He choked, "Can't breathe…"

Ryou blushed and let go. "Sorry Yuugi!"

Yuugi shook his head.

"It's okay." He assured.

Together they continued for the horrendous thing that is school, where Yami was probably waiting at the entrance.

Yuugi sighed mentally as the held hands with Ryou. The other boy looked content, and normally that would also bring a sunny smile to Yuugi's face, but not today. His mind was too busy chasing impossible questions. Yami was never the type to pine away from someone. He was the kind to go for what ever he fancied at the time. He wasn't the type to shy-up in front of others. And yet whenever he went within a ten-foot radius of him, the older teen would opt a more submissive personality. Normally to other that would mean that his feelings were genuine. But Yuugi wasn't so sure. He had been played from the beginning and he was just supposed to take him back? He looked at Ryou. No! He wouldn't! Yami didn't deserve him!

As they approached the school gates Yuugi was still trying to convince himself of that. He vaguely felt his hand in Ryou's. Almost instinctively his spiky head searched for it's counter part in the sea of other heads.

Yami, however, was in the coffee shop across the street. He'd seen Yuugi walk by hand in hand with Ryou! He growled at his cup.

Mariku who sat across from his stared at his friend with serious concern for his friend's sanity.

He'd seen Yami through enough heartbreak to know his every reaction. First was shock, followed by depression, which changed into anger, then complete hopelessness. Right now Yami woke up with anger by his side.

"Why won't he believe me?" Yami asked the bewildered cup, who just sat there in Yami's firm, crushing grip.

"Because you played him?" Suggested Mariku, slightly tentative, slightly casually.

Yami glared at the cup.

"And who's fucking fault is that?" He accused.

Mariku fell silent. Now that he thought back to it, he had been the one to set up the dare.

"Look," He reasoned, "I didn't know you'd end up FALLING for him. You ALWAYS fool around with people."

Yami's death gripped the innocent cup, which was in danger of shattering.

"You still called the dare. You started it." He said in a dangerously low voice.

Mariku looked down, he felt bad, but in his defense he wasn't a psychic and he wasn't the one who liked rising at every challenged placed in his way.

Yami stood up abruptly and left, leaving Mariku sitting in his guilt and leaving him with the bill, no matter how small it was.

The both made their separate ways up to the school. He had to set things right! Yami had a valid point. He DID start the entire thing, and dragged two innocent people and his best friend along for the ride.

He found Yami with bloody knuckles punching the side of the school wall. Every time he took a painful looking punch he growled to himself.

"Why won't he listen?"

"Why won't he believe me?"

"Why won't he fucking LOOK at me?"

There were silver tears in the rims of Yami's eyes, and from that point he knew that something just HAD to be done!

He just needed to know where to begin.

Yuugi wandered the campus aimlessly hand in hand with Ryou. He could see a few other 'open' couples displaying their affection beside trees and on benches. Ryou's eyes lingered on them, and then wistfully at Yuugi, who pretended not to notice. He was sub consciously looking for the object of his angst and seemingly unwanted affection.

"Yuugi is something bothering you?"

Yuugi jumped at the sudden address.

"Er—no. Why do you ask?"

Ryou shrugged. "You didn't hear what I just said."

Yuugi gasped. "I'm sorry Ryou!" He apologized, but in truth right now, no matter who kind his nature was, his mind was set on one thing.

Ryou was oblivious to these thoughts, thankfully. So he smiled and said,

"It's okay, Yuugi."

Yuugi smiled back, it was a forced smile, but Ryou seemed happy by it.

"What did you say?" Yuugi finally asked out of curiosity.

"I asked do you think we could—you—know—" He blushed deeply as he pointed to the nearest spit-swapping couple.

Yuugi's blushed rivaled that or Ryou's.

"I don't know…' He said hesitantly, he really wasn't in the mood.

But as they say 'saved by the bell' Yuugi held back a huge sigh of relief as the two 'lovers' trooped down to homeroom.

Ryou had taken up the back seat and had proceeded to finish a little doujinshi of his. Ryou had a strange fetish for those.

They both ended up drowning out the teacher's voice.

As Yuugi stared off into blank space he wondered. Yami was seriously hurt over his right? Hadn't he come crying to confess his undying love—twice? They did say third time's a charm. Yuugi slipped back into his chair and stared at the tiled ceiling. He wasn't sure which way was up anymore. Yami could have been acting, but today would mark the second week of the bed, if it wasn't true all love confessions would stop right? He sighed and looked at Ryou. Maybe he was better off with what he had. Ryou was cute, and sweet.

He lay his head down. Deep down he knew he was only comparing Ryou to Yami, and that wasn't fair to the other boy.

They also say you meet the worst guys on the rebound. Well Ryou wasn't the worst—but—

Yuugi hid his face in his arms and let the tears fall. He never let his body shake with the sobs nor did he let them go. Ryou was his rebound boyfriend, and no matter how much he tried, he wouldn't be able to love him, like he did Yami. He was just too scared to break up. He held more of a friendship with Ryou than he ever had with anyone. The though made the tears flow faster.

Mariku's face scrunched in concentration. It remained like that for the majority of homeroom and first period. Yami was still fuming the corners of each classroom.

His mind was reeling. He the fuck could he convince Yuugi to return to the person who probably hurt him the most since—anyone! He fisted his hair in frustration, but refused to let out a sound. He was genuine idiot!

He glanced at Yami, who sat desks away, stabbing his pencil into his note book with held back fury. It was days like this in which unfortunate people too a beating for no reason.

He had an ominous feeling that it was his turn to feel Yami's wrath.

He looked down at his work, a completely blank work sheet, which at the current time meant nothing to him. It was painful to his head trying to think of ways to get Yuugi to at least TALK to Yami.

"Mr. Ishtar would you like to spend your evening cleaning the bathrooms with the janitor?"

The teacher's voice lashed out like a whip.

Mariku shook his head and returned to pretending to do his work. His broken train of thought remained de-railed for the rest of the period in which teacher kept a sharp eagle eye on him.

Second period rolled by and Yuugi felt no better. Ryou happened not to have this class with him and for that he was thankful. He paid no heed to his biology teacher. He didn't care about cancer cells at the present time. He was too caught up in wallowing in self pity and loathing.

He felt shitty. He was just playing Ryou, like Yami had played him. In his mind, Yuugi felt like he was no better than that low-life. And that just wasn't fair to Ryou. His head remained bowed so no one could see his face clearly.

During this hour his dilemma had come to a resolve. He would have to confess. It just wasn't like him to sit by and just live a lie that was already eating him from the inside out no matter how hard he tried to ignore it.

In a way he would much rather return to the days in which he was alone and just ignored. At least then the only pain he felt was that of random beatings he got from the local bullies. Two more tears rolled down his cheeks and collected on the desk. He felt weak by letting them fall. But then again. Wasn't he? Wasn't he weak? Like everyone told him. Like everyone thought he was. His little pessimistic part of his mind was running circles around the optimistic side. Maybe Ryou was the one playing him?

Yuugi just mentally shook his head and continued to stare at his desk with an empty almost emotionless look in his eyes. He sharp tip of his pencil look so inviting to his flesh. Yuugi just ignored the morbid feeling that had consumed him only just a second ago. He wasn't that type of person. Never was, never will be if he could help it.

He was jolted out of his thoughts when the shrill ringing of the bell cut through the thick silence of the classroom like a blunt knife. His ears were still ringing when he stepped out of the classroom.

Yuugi was starting to dread lunch time. He couldn't stand the thought of feeling of guilt as he realized that he was playing Ryou. Once again it wasn't fair to the other boy, who tried to help him through his 'break up' with Yami.

As he traversed from second to third period he franticly looked for ahead similar to his. And by the time lunch rolled around Yuugi considered hiding in the bathroom, or a classroom far away from the main part of the school.

He sat under a shady tree. He wasn't hungry so he hadn't bothered to get a lunch. The ants would have stolen it if he had.

Right on cue Ryou cheerfully bounced up to Yuugi, juggling lunch, backpack, and folder. Yuugi forced his sweet, sweet smile that didn't meet his eyes like it used to.

"Hey Yuugi!" Exclaimed Ryou.

Yuugi kept his smile. "Hello Ryou."

Said white-haired boy sat himself rather close to Yuugi's side.

Yuugi's nerves caused his stomach to flutter unceasingly, and his heart to beat faster. His head felt light, like no enough oxygen was reaching it.

Ryou must have sensed what was wrong.

"Yuugi? Are you alright?" He question with concern.

Yuugi sighed and looked down with remorse.

"No."

"What's wrong?"

Yuugi refused to let the tears fall again. He wanted to tell the whole truth. He knew it would hurt. Of course Ryou more than him but it wasn't easy for Yuugi either. He almost felt no better than Yami again. And his empty stomach wanted to throw itself up.

"Ryou….we" Long pause. "I think we—" A small tear slipped, "should break up."

He wanted to run so bad. Just run away. But his little legs refused to follow his commands.

Ryou was sitting there with a far away look in his eyes.

"Really?"

Yuugi nodded.

"Okay."

He stood up and walked away. Leaving Yuugi to sit at the base of the shady tree with salty tears running down his cheeks.

"I'm sorry Ryou." He cried out loud.

Yami sat grumbling at a lunch bench. His temper still hadn't cooled. And Mariku was beginning to freak out a bit. This silent brooding Yami scared him. And they remained in tense silence until they saw Bakura's look alike walk past with blood-shot eyes and tearstained cheeks

Automatically Mariku stood up and ran after Ryou. Hoping that what he thought had happened had happened.

Yami too, was as curious. Why was Ryou crying? Did something happen to Yuugi? He sat up and began to comb the campus until he found a bundle with tri-colored hair.

Yami came up to Yuugi, who's body shook with small sobs and random hiccups every few seconds.

"Yuugi?"

Yuugi automatically lifted his face and blushed.

"What do you want?" He sniffed, trying, and failing miserably, to be

Intimidating. His voice sounded nasally. One of the many tell-tale signs that he'd been crying.

He rubbed his eyes and nose on his sleeve.

Yami had knelt down next to him.

"We saw Ryou running by crying, and I was worried something had happened to you." He explained, truthfully.

Yuugi blinked and blushed again.

"Thank you for you concern." He muttered. "But it's not needed."

Yami still gave a smile.

"Did Ryou break up with you?" He inquired curiously.

Yuugi let a few more tears drop. Yami brushed them aside with his thumb.

"I broke up with him." Yuugi murmured. His voice still sounded nasally.

Yami was actually very surprised.

"You dumped Ryou? Why?" He couldn't help himself.

A minute ago he was pissed. Until he saw Yuugi did his mood lighten. Now he was overjoyed. No matter how wrong it sounded, Yuugi was free again! Dating was such a mysterious thing.

"I-I didn't like him like that." Yuugi blushed.

Yami nodded understandingly.

"Why did you date him then?"

Yuugi sniffed and shrugged. "I'm in love with someone else."

That brought Yami's overjoyfullness (A/N: Is that a word?) down a few pegs. He was determined to be optimistic about it though. He wished that Yuugi were in love with him.

"Who is it?"

Yuugi's blush went from strawberry pink to near maroon.

"Someone." He muttered.

He didn't want to give Yami the satisfaction of knowing that he dumped Ryou for him.

But Yami must have guessed (or had psychic powers). He inched his head in slowly, giving Yuugi enough time to turn away or push him away. Yuugi chose to come in the other few inches that separated their lips.

OMFG! I finshed the chapter!

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God I'm sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo sorry this too so long! But I've been having major relationship problems myself. I sympathize with poor Yuugi. Now if only this ending would work for me.

….But don't worry it's not the ending to the story yet. I'm at least hoping for ten chapters. If my brain allows it. I still have to write a lemon for it.

But I hope you liked it Everyone's been wanting me to break up Ryou and Yuugi, so there! I'm also kinda planning to make Chapter nine all about Ryou and Mariku…so I probably will.

Please take this as my Christmas Present to all my readers. If you're still there.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!