Notes: Thank you all for your wonderful reviews, here are the answers to those of you had specific questions or comments.

Shadow-demon18b: In answer to your question, you are about to find out.

Ichigo25: I apologize for not being able to get this out as soon as you would have liked, but I to was hauled back to that wonderful imprisonment called school.

YumeTakato: Everything must totally suck for Yugi and Yami because it makes the make up scenes that much more fun to write.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu gi oh all rights go to its copyright holders.

Private thoughts

Catching a Break: Bad Luck Comes in Threes or Not

I slowly came back to the land of the living my arm reached over for Yami's side of the bed; I kept reaching feeling nothing but air until I tumbled off the couch and on to the floor.

"Ow..."

Why was I sleeping on the couch? ... Oh right the fight and then I decided to work on my homework and then... when did I fall asleep? I picked myself up off the floor wincing at the stiff and achy feeling that penetrated my whole body. /Well I can't have been asleep very long ago because I am totally exhausted. Wait if I studied into the early hours of the morning and I am still tired then maybe its still early and Yami hasn't left for work yet and I can apologize for all those stupid comments I made last night, after all he works hard and I shouldn't expect him to just drop everything for me, no matter how good it would make me feel.

I walked into the bedroom only to find it empty, the sheets still thrown half to the middle bed like it was when we both slept in it indicating that Yami never came home last night. I sighed more out of worry then out of disappointment. He was going to make himself sick being over there all the time working to the point of exhaustion. I glanced up from the empty sheets to the window and noticed the white crystals frozen to the pane. I made my way over to get a better look and saw the entire street covered in snow. The first snowfall of winter, I let a smile form on my lips as I remembered when I was a kid how excited I was. I'd get up at crack of dawn and rush outside then spend the entire day building snowman and tobogganing down every hill I could find until my clothes were so wet I looked liked I'd fallen in to a tub of water. It was even better when I'd finally made some friends and we would have a huge snowball fight at the park. This would be the first year neither of those things would happen. Being an adult sucks, life is now all about working hard hoping someone will notice your efforts preferable the one you wanted to spend the rest of your life with who hates living in this pigsty... and why is it so cold in here? I broke out of my reverie and noticed I was shivering, even though I was right next to the window I shouldn't have been so cold. Then I realized that I couldn't hear the hum of the furnace.

"Oh, don't tell me the heat is out." I stumbled my way over to the barometer and moved the stick back forth trying to get it to kick in. When nothing happened I slammed my fist against the wall.

"Ugh, I don't need this-AHCHOO!" Caught off guard that sent me right to the floor, and I don't need to be sick either, no I won't think like that. I'm not sick it, one sneeze does not qualify someone as sick it was probably just dust. For the second time that hour I pulled myself up of the floor, I wandered over to the dresser and pulled out a sweater and nearly tripped over an unidentified object lying on the floor. Wow Yami was right this place really is a disaster zone maybe I could clean up then I can earn my keep.

(Yami)

The sounds of the office didn't register to me as I sat at my desk staring at the phone for the last thirty or perhaps it was even forty minutes having an argument with myself.

I should call him...but then again maybe not I mean what he said about me not knowing anything about studying really! ... granted I didn't take high school very seriously but still...then again I did promise to be with him last night...but I always take any extra work Bob gives even if he is a jerk...Yugi should realize I only do this for him … I want to give him everything he deserves...I don't understand what made last night so important...it wasn't his birthday or anything just another day out of the year…either way I shouldn't have said all those snide comments to him ... I'll call him. I grabbed the phone and started dialling the number.

"Hey, Motou, you got a minute?"

I gripped the receiver so hard I swear I heard the plastic crack.

"This had better be good," I said, glaring daggers at the person who interrupted me.

"Whoa don't kill the messenger I've just come to tell you that high command requests your presence."

"What does chrome dome want now?"

She shrugged. "Don't know but he said it was a life or death matter."

"With Bob not having his two and half lumps of sugar in his morning coffee is a life and death matter," I muttered as my fingers rubbed against my temples.

"All right take me to him."

&&&

"Motou, I hear you are some what of an old hand at games."

"Yeah, but why does this matter to you?"

"The boss from our competition is beating my behind at this online of whatever this is, see"

He turned around to show me the screen and I bit my fist to keep from screaming. You dragged me away from calling Yugi for this!

"So did you think you can beat him?"

I grunted in response. Must ... fight ... urge ... to ... kill boss!

I sat down at the desk my nails biting into my palm I never turned down a challenge Bob knew this that's why he picked me to fix his mess rather then admit his mistake and no matter how much I wanted to phone Yugi work came first I could always phone him after.

Well Yugi I hope you're having a better day then me.

(Yugi)

"AHCHOO!" Oh man, what is this the sixth time today! I thought irritably and pulled yet another tissue from the box which I now kept within arms reach of whatever I was doing. There was no doubt in my mind that I was sick, no matter how much I wanted to deny it every sniffle and sneeze told me other wise. I went over to the phone to call Yami but halfway there I thought better of it and went back to washing the dishes. There was no need to inconvenience Yami with this; it was probably nothing more then the twenty-four flu he had better things to do with his time then listen to the sob story of his whiny, overly sensitive boyfriend who was so needy he couldn't make it being sick all alone for one day. It wasn't really all that bad I might even feel better by the afternoon. The aspirin had already done its job of bring my headache down to a dull throb from the ear-splitting pounding it had been earlier and I didn't have any other symptoms apart from the congestion.

I finished putting away the dishes, it always surprised me how many there were when it came time to clean them considering there was only two of us and our cooking skills combined amounted to being able to make burnt toast, watered down soup and something indefinable from a can. I went back to the living room and grabbed the wall for support as I was hit be a sudden wave of nausea and the room got blurry around the edges. Okay maybe this afternoon was a bit too optimistic but by tomorrow at least.

After the spell was over I went about collecting all the dirty pieces of laundry I could find. I came out of the apartment with clothes stuffed in an old cardboard box went halfway down the hall only to find the elevator out of order. Figures, oh well there's still the stairs. I started down the stairs and didn't watch where I was going and bumped into a woman coming up the other way.

"Sorry" I mumbled and continued my somewhat drunken stagger down the steps. Just keep walking one foot in front of the other and don't get distracted-

"Mr. Motou!"

I jumped a mile high and grabbed the railing to prevent myself from falling down the remaining two flights of steps. Once I regained my balance I turned around to see Mrs. Crumpet.

"You know it's rude to just brush off a lady like that."

"I'm sorry I'm not feeling well." She didn't appear to care about my reason and just went on with her lecture.

"You know when I was young men would pull out your chair, hold open the door, make way for you down the street..."

As she digressed into a speech about chivalry and role of men in the world I focused on a water stain on the wall beside her head trying to make it stay still, my jaw clamped firmly shut because I was sure if I opened my mouth I'd throw up.

This went on for a while until another tenant came up to her to discuss the broken furnace and I was able to escape. I silently thanked the man although I felt sorry for him to, for bring such a thing to her attention. He must be new. It was common knowledge around here that Mrs. Crumpet didn't like complaints unless she was the one making them. I continued downstairs to the laundry room and arrived to find every machine full expect for the old rickety one in the corner that you had to kick to get started. Could this day get any worse?

"AHCHOO!" My eyes rolled to the ceiling I had to ask. The concrete walls of the room amplified the sneeze and made it echo which caused everyone to stare at me with a look of disgust on their face. I leaned against the cool metal of the machine and buried my head into my arms in a sign of defeat.

I want Yami.

(End chapter 2)

Notes: All right before you all grab your torch and pitchfork and run out to drag Yami home let me tell you that he well be coming back. He may stubborn, hot headed and have his priorities slightly out of order but he does care for Yugi.