Small Note

Sakura: Sorry about last week and not updating but with work I couldn't find the time to get on the computer barely found the time this week but I made it before midnight. So I made sure to update this week because next week there will not be an update. I'm finally moving to a new house and will not have time, plus I'll have a lack of internet for that week. Once everything has settled I'll be back to my once a week update. If something comes up I'll be sure to post something on my profile for everyone.

Chapter 8

Where I Belong

The first thing Yugi did when he walked out of the hospital was throwing his arms up in the air and breath in the fresh summer air of Domino City. He had the biggest smile on his face loving the fact that he was finally free after nearly four days stuck in that hospital. Overall he was healing up nicely with a few burn scars here and there from the fire, but other than that he was perfectly healthy. There was no longer any point for him or Yami being in the hospital.

Yami chuckled as he set their bag right beside him, "I would say you're happy to be going home."

"Hell yeah," Yugi could not help but say as he grinned up at Yami, "I would have been happy to go home days ago."

"But days ago you were still in pain," Yami replied as he lightly tickled Yugi's side causing the other to squirm away. It was nice to see Yugi in such high spirits, especially since they would both finally get to go home to their place. The one Yami had gotten for them to live in together.

Once feeling safe that Yami wasn't going to try and tickle him again, did Yugi look around to see if their ride was there. "I figured the others would have been here by now."

Yami shrugged, "Probably got caught up in traffic or something it is the noon lunch rush." It would have been fine for Seto to have just gotten his own car dropped off for them to take home, but apparently that was out of the question. Seto had informed him that morning that a limo would be by to get them.

Yugi figured that as well as he looked back up at his partner, "I've been meaning to ask, but how are you and the other Yami doing?" Throughout their whole recovery his mind had been on other things and he had been so worried about Yami that he nearly forgot about the spirit. He had been though a lot too after the puzzle having been dismantled and thankfully put back together.

"He's fine, he went dormant for a while to recuperate while we were in the hospital so we haven't spoken much. But I will say it's kind of nice having that feeling back that he's there in the back of my mind. I hope none of us have to go through that again."

Yugi could completely agree with him on that but there was still that feeling that he wanted to hear from the spirit himself that he was alright plus there were some questions he wanted to ask. Things he couldn't really ask Yami because he wouldn't know the answer. "Do you think I could talk to him for a second?" He asked since he didn't want to force Yami to switch or force the spirit to come out.

There was silence on Yami's part for a second making Yugi think he shouldn't have asked, until the smaller adult looked up and noticed the change. The other Yami was looking at him and it was amazing sometimes at how much Yugi could tell the difference. All their friends said they couldn't figure out who was who, but Yugi could. The other Yami had this feel about him that gave off power, plus the way he held himself was not the relaxed Yami that Yugi feel in love with. Then there was the slight change in eye color that let him know for sure that his boyfriend had taken a backseat to let the spirit out.

Before Yugi could even utter a word the other Yami spoke, "Yugi…I haven't had the chance yet to properly thank you for what you did. That day in that fire, you didn't have to stay behind and save me but you did."

Yugi was surprised by those words not expecting a thank you at all. He had only done what he could to save the other Yami and make sure they all left that fire alive. "I only did what I felt was right. It wouldn't have been fair to let you die in that fire while all of us got to live on. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I had let that happen. You're a person to even if you don't have a body and besides…" He smiled a little when thinking of the one friend who had truly saved them, "It was Joey who really saved us. He didn't have to stay behind and make sure we both got out after I fainted."

The other nodded and stated, "You have very good friends…"

"We have really good friends," Yugi corrected him, the other Yami was a part of them all now. It still looked like it would take some time but he hoped the other Yami could see himself as a part of their group.

"Thank you," The other Yami thanked him again. He was still not used to all that was going on around him and he tried to stay back as much as possible to let Yami live his life. And speaking of Yami… "Yami said you wanted to ask me something."

"Oh yeah…. I wanted to see how you were doing…." Yugi said nearly forgetting what it was he wanted to talk about, but quickly added. "But there was also something else…"

When the other did not say anything else Yugi continued, "I noticed Bakura was different than he had been before when I was battling Duke. I'm not sure what may be going on with him or if that evil spirit was never truly gone and has return but he said something that I haven't been able to get off my mind. It was something like the one who solves the millennium puzzle will have the duty of awakening the king's memories." He looked up at the other and asked the question he hoped might lead them in the right direction into learning more about the other Yami, "Are you a king?"

There was a pause in the conversation as those words sunk in before the other Yami sighed, "I don't know I don't remember where I came from or even my name…. I only know that I can exist through Yami when you wear the millennium puzzle…"

"Oh…" Yugi looked away it wasn't the answer he was looking for, but maybe he had been hoping for too much when he remember all that Bakura had been talking about. He still did not understand that mess and so much had happened he was sure even Bakura probably did not even know what he had said if that was Bakura.

"But I'm happy here…." The other Yami confessed surprising Yugi, "I've enjoyed my time with the both of you. At this point I don't care if I never find my memories. I've been making new ones…"

Yugi was so happy to hear that, that he did not even realize he had started crying. The other Yami was his friend too and hearing those words caused him joy. There were times he worried the other Yami wasn't getting much out of life being trapped.

A hand reached up to wipe away those tears causing Yugi to look up and noticed that his boyfriend was back in control. Yami grinned at him before he kissed Yugi's forehead. "No more tears, you had the other me worry that he did something wrong."

Yugi let out a small laugh as he welcomed the embrace Yami pulled him into, "Well tell him he did nothing wrong, I'm just happy is all."

Yami was happy to hear that and he was even more glad that their ride had just showed up to pick them up. It was finally time to go home and for Yugi to see their new place.

The ride was a quiet one as they were driven to their new home. It was only when they were about a block away that Yami asked for Yugi to wear a blindfold. He wanted to surprise him like he was going to do on Yugi's birthday but did not get the chance. Yugi had no problem with it as the blindfold was put around his eyes and waited until the limo stopped.

They did not have long to wait as the limo pulled up in front of their new home and put the vehicle in park. The driver then quickly exited the vehicle and went around to their side to open the door for Yami. Yami got out first, before he reached in to carefully help Yugi out. While the driver dealt with their bags, Yami lead Yugi a little ways toward the front door before he stopped.

"It's a little late but I hope you like the second gift to your birthday," Yami mentioned since the ring ending up being the first gift for Yugi's birthday. He reached out and carefully took the blindfold off so Yugi could see their new home.

It took a second for Yugi's eyes to adjust to the light but when they did his jaw nearly dropped. The house was huge and gorgeous; he almost figured they had pulled up to someone else's house. Often times he forgot how much his future husband really had until he pulled something like this. Yugi turned to Yami with wide eyes, "So this is really our house?"

Yami nodded with a huge smile, "Sure is, as you can see it's got a large driveway and perfect front yard for the pups, plus a gate to keep anyone unwanted out and to keep our little ones in." He explained pointing out the long driveway that lead from the gate they had come through to a circle driveway that surrounded a small fountain. The yard that surrounded the driveway was a lush green with some brushes lining the tall stone fencing and a few trees to give the area shade from the summer sun. "Then we have the house itself… A beautiful two story home with four bedrooms along with three bathrooms, an office, and all the other necessities we need for living along with a pool as an added bonus."

By the time Yami finished Yugi was chuckling because of how Yami sounded, "You sound like one of those realtors…"

"After spending months hanging out with them trying to find the right house, I'm not surprised." Yami said with a chuckle as he looked up at their home, "It took a while but once I saw this place I knew it was perfect minus the few improvements I made to it."

"Improvements…"

"You'll have to go inside and see…"

Yugi was bubbling with excitement to go in as he looked back at his two stories home that was modern in look with its red brick design. There were three small steps leading to a small porch and leading to the front door which was just glass frosted over so no one could see inside. The place already looked fantastic and as he walked with hurried steps to the front door, he knew the inside would be just the same.

Yami was right behind him as Yugi used his key for the first time and opened the door to their home. However Yugi did not get much time to look around the new place because as soon as he walked into the foyer the lights that were once off were turned on.

"Welcome home Yugi and Yami!"

Yugi was taken back and nearly fell into Yami as all their friends and family greeted them. He should have known they would pull something like this, but it still surprised him all the same. Even more so as he did not get a chance to regain his foot as Shadow and Yuki broke away from Joey and practically tackled both their masters.

The others were trying their best not to laugh at the scene as the two were covered in dog kisses. However Yugi and Yami knew their babies so it was easy for them to get them under control and calming sitting beside them wagging their tails. Taking the time to train them had been totally worth it when they were smaller.

Mrs. Mutou was the first to walk up to the two and pulled them both into a hug, "It's so good to see my two boys out of the hospital." She kissed them both on the cheek.

"Mom..." Yugi whined trying to pull away. It was something to have his mother kissing his cheek but in front of everyone. It was still down right embarrassing no matter what age he was.

Yami was just as embarrassed not at all use to getting kisses from anyone other than Yugi. He just stood there as all of Mrs. Mutou's attention turned to her son wanting to see for herself that he was all better.

"Mom please… I'm fine really…"

"Are you sure? Do you need to sit down? We don't want you getting sick." She gushed over him until grandpa stepped in to save them.

"Let the boys' breath dear." He walked up to them and patted Yugi on the back, "We Mutou's are tougher than we look, aren't we my boy?"

"Sure…" Yugi simply agree to get them off his back. He wanted to explore his house already, but he did take note the foyer looked awesome. It reminded him of the one Seto had at his manor just smaller in size. There was a living room to his left and a dining room to his right and the anticipation was about to kill him.

Joey had this knowing smirk on his face as he could see that look in Yugi's eyes so he decided to step in, "Hey, Yugi you've got to see the rest of this place. Yami certainly outdid himself."

The others caught on and it wasn't long before Yugi was being showed around by all his friends letting him get the full feel of his new place. Apparently they had spent hours in his house before he got released from the hospital to set up his and Yami's welcome home party. And a birthday party since Yugi could not really have one in the hospital and they wanted to throw him one. Everyone was there as it should be and made Yugi all the more glad to be home where he belonged surrounded by friends and family.

Yugi felt like he was in some kind of fairy tale and it was only a matter of time before he woke up. Now the house wasn't as large as something Yami was probably use to living in his brother's mansion most of his life. But this place was a lot bigger than Yugi's family game store and Yami's small apartment. It was comfortable enough for them to live in and enough room to house all their friends and family if they needed to. Their pups had plenty of room to play around in and outside the house, meaning a less of a mess on the parents.

There was a large living room, kitchen with an attached dining room, plus a very nice den area for lounging in and a pretty big bathroom downstairs. While there were four bedrooms and an office upstairs including a bathroom in the hallway and a master bath in the master bedroom. Outside there was a brand new pool that Yami had put in for them to enjoy during the summer months along with a backyard with plenty of space and a tall stone fence for privacy.

According to Yami the person who owned the house before them had not fully completed construction of it because something came up. He got it for a deal because it was unfinished and use his and his brother's own resources to make sure the place was perfect. After what happened with their parents they wanted to make sure the place was in the best shape and that nothing could go wrong with it.

The house was located in the middle of a cove with their neighbors being a little ways down the street. There were only two empty lots on either side of them that was being well maintained to keep the area looking nice and there was no one but empty land behind them. It was quiet and the drive to their friends' house, family's homes or the university would not be long. Yami had done all he could to make sure neither of them had to drive far but were also out of the main downtown area of Domino.

After touring through the house multiple times to make sure he saw everything, he finally found a spot to stand and look out at the backyard. Mostly everyone was gathered on the patio outback by the pool while some of the others took the comfort of the air conditioned den. Mokuba was playing with the dogs, Tea and Duke were lounging by the pool, and Seto was using up one of the patio seats typing away on his laptop.

This left the others doing their own thing in the house, while Yugi stood taking it all in. He only was pulled from his thoughts when someone came up beside him.

"I gotta say your one lucky guy…" Joey commented as he looked out where Yugi was looking.

"I still feel like this is a dream…" Yugi turned to look over his shoulder at Yami who was talking with Yugi's mother about something. Knowing his mother they were either talking about plans for a future wedding or how she could add her own touches to the house. It had been fully furnished by Yami with things they needed, but over time Yugi and Yami would probably change somethings up. Of course Yugi still had to decide what he wanted to take from the game shop to move in here.

Joey could almost understand the feeling. When he first started to date Seto it felt like some dream and wasn't really true. Took some getting used to and now here was his friend newly engaged and moving in with his longtime boyfriend. He was happy for Yugi and knew this was a huge step for the two. "It won't be long before the newness wears off. But I gotta say it will be different around the apartment without Yami around."

"You could always move in with Seto?" Yugi suggested since Joey pretty much lived at the mansion now.

"Nah, we're not ready for living together full time and besides I think Tristan would get lonely."

"I think I would live," Tristan commented having been paying half attention to the two from his spot in a recliner. "But I wasn't the one Yami left the apartment to…"

Yugi looked at Tristan confused for a second before looking up at Joey, "So Yami gave the apartment to you?"

Joey nodded, "Offered it to me but I only agreed under the condition me and Tristan took over the rent. I know Yami and he would pay for it even if he wasn't living there."

Yugi could agree with him there. Yami could be sly like that wanting to take care of everyone. "Sometimes I wonder if he cares too much."

"And that's where you come in," Joey said as he patted Yugi on the back, "You keep him in line and take care of him when he won't take care of himself."

"Joey, are you harassing my fiancé?" Yami joked as he joined the two making Yugi jump when he felt arms come around his waist.

"Well you can't hog him to yourself," Joey said with a smile as he watched the way Yugi's face light up. All his life he had known Yugi he hadn't seen him smile this much. There were never any regrets of his staying in that fire to save Yugi. He would do it all over again if he had to, but hopefully nothing like that ever happened again.

By the time the sun had set on the peaceful city of Domino, Yami was seeing the last of their guest to the door. Mrs. Mutou and Grandpa were the last to leave wanting to make sure the two would be alright while everyone else had left before dinner each for their own reasons. Now Yugi and Yami had the house to themselves which was a lot quieter without everyone there. The dogs were passed out in the den in the middle of the floor too tired out to move while Yugi cleaned the few dirty dishes they had so they wouldn't sit overnight. Mrs. Mutou had been kind enough to go shopping the day before and made sure their house was fully stocked so the two wouldn't have to go shopping.

They both of course still had to move Yami's stuff out of his apartment and Yugi's stuff out of the game shop but that would come at another day. For now the day had finally come to a close and they had the place to themselves.

Yami entered the kitchen as Yugi finished loading up the dishwasher and started it. He turned to his lover and smiled, "They gone?"

"Yeah, although I think your mother would have loved to stay the night."

Yugi could agree with him there, "I have no doubt she would have," He cleaned his hands on a small hand towel then tossed it back on the counter. Walking up to his fiancé he wrapped his arms around Yami's neck giving him a peck on the lips, "I can't tell you how good it feels to be home."

"I might have an idea of how good it feels," Yami said before he reclaimed Yugi's lips for a much longer kiss. The two stood there kissing until the need for air made them pull apart.

Yugi was a little breathless but it felt oh so good. "Everything taken care of…?"

"Yeah, the house is locked up and the pups are asleep in the den. Why?" Yami wondered not sure what Yugi had planned.

Yugi developed this smirk on his face as he said what was on probably both their minds, "How about we take this upstairs and try out that king size bed of ours." It been such a long time since they were alone together and now they wouldn't have to worry about anyone coming home and hearing them.

Yami's mind went straight to the gutter with those words as he verified by asking, "You mean to do more than sleep right?"

Yugi backed away from his partner with a smile, "What do you think…?" He turned and walked away knowing Yami would be right behind him. He was right of course as he didn't not get far before Yami was sweeping him off his feet.

"Allow me…" Yami said with a smirk as he carried Yugi out of the kitchen and up the stairs. Tonight would be a long one but for all the right reasons.

Sakura: This is the shortest chapter of this story thus far. Hopefully won't have too many more of those, but I wanted a chapter of just Yugi and Yami coming home before we get into all the seriousness of Battle City. I know it seems like it's taking forever but next chapter will lean back toward the manga. A lot of stuff is going to be happening next chapter…

Oh and if you skipped the message at the top, there will be no update next week. The reason why has been posted at the top if you are curious.

Yumi: Review!