AU: INSPIRATION! I know not too many people like this story, but I can't help but really enjoy working on it. Since the time from the first chapter I have been making a bunch of rough drafts in my math class (since that's my best subject) then editing them during lunch (so many funny looks from my friends…so little time) Any who, this is the last time I give an intro before the chapter since I doubt people enjoy them anyway. Also, I'm going to be fast forwarding every once in awhile, telling you guys now so you don't get confused.

"" = talking

'' = thoughts

Yu-Gi-Oh belongs to Kazuki Takahashi

…

His first steps.

They weren't graceful.

They weren't done in a comfortable manner.

But the sheer look of triumph on the boy's chubby face was astounding. The spirit, normally, wouldn't be impressed by such a simple task, but he had broken his character several times for …Yugi. Oh how her loved saying the babe's name, but he knew that his growing affections for the boy were unnatural. Of course, since when did he care? He hated, however, when the mother would go out with the baby, leaving the ghost alone with nothing to soothe himself. If he had it his way the boy would be within seeing distance of himself at all times.

Then again, nothing outside of a game went his way. Yugi was only a couple months now, or so he heard from the old man, whom he learned name was Sugoroku. A celebration would be held to honour Yugi's anniversary into the world.

The ghost had to admit, Sugoroku was amusing. No matter how difficult the puzzle was, he would keep on trying. On several occasions the pharaoh found himself watching the trial and error of the elder, to the point where he had begun to respect the old fool

Then the babe had a bad dream.

He was now whimpering into the air hoping for comfort, but of course none would come at the moment. Well none that he could see. The spirit soothingly petted his head until the cries were but small sniffles. It was odd, he was sure that the boy couldn't feel him, but perhaps he could sense his presence… and maybe kuriboh's would rule the world. With a sigh the spirit retired to the puzzle box that was his home, but not before seeing Yugi sit up and yawn cutely.

He had no idea what was going through his head now as he floated back to the crib, seeing what the babe was now mesmerized by. The boy was staring fixedly at the millennium puzzle. Now things would get interesting, the boy wanted to play~

Ooh, he was excited, his judgment slightly impaired, then tried to pick up the golden box himself with, not surprisingly, no results.

The ghost cursed every God he knew; not noticing before it was too late that Yugi had gotten out of his crib. Had the spirit have been flesh, the baby would have been saved. However, he wasn't flesh now was he? This time instead of just small sniffles it was full blown out crying, to the point of annoying the spirit and coaxing him into the puzzle.

…

And so it began…

A staring contest against his other half. Sure he was only doing this because he hated the boring curriculum of his English class but he was determined not to lose to his yami… this time. The other him tended to win at just about any game they played, be it back gammon or chess, poker or riddles, duel monsters and pokemon (how did he beat his Raichu with an Amphorus?) The game began, taunts from his other half soon followed, but it didn't dawn on Yugi's mind that his darkness didn't need to blink until it was too late…

"I win~"

Then they decided to play back gammon. Almost all of Yami's pieces were off the playing board while the ones that were still on were blocking Yugi from progressing. Of course his darkness had black pieces while the boy had white. The winner always gets to choose and by winner he meant his other half. He didn't mind losing, but the gamer in him wanted to beat his darker self, just for the sake of saying he did. But he could tell when the pharaoh let him win, he would do so every so often when they were still just getting to know one another. He immediately scolded his darkness for doing such a thing.

He hated cheating, something he learned Yami and himself had in common. It was the first time he saw the spirit beam, almost like a father would when playing catch with his son. Afterwards they would both give every game their full effort, even in rock-paper-scissors. Which led to, like right now, his defeat at the hands of his other self. That made 5 games in a row…

…

Now they were playing Earthbound. It was a one player game, but the boy liked being helped by his yami from time to time. Sure, sometimes his other self would use shadow magic to put things in Yugi's advantage.

But that glare…

A glare that no one else ever saw on Yugi's face, not even his grandpa or mother, and no one else should see. He looked exactly like his darker half at that moment in time. The spirit had never felt such an odd rush of regret and arousal. Thankfully, the spirit learned from his mistake and only tampered with the games to make it more tedious for his partner of put things against his advantage to tease him. Also to see the positively unmanly pout on his light's face.

…

Yugi couldn't deny that his other half was better looking. His voice a deep, rich baritone; his manners like that of a monarch, and his appearance… so similar yet so different. Every bit of his features screamed Egyptian, those blood wine eyes, their sharp almond shape expertly laced with kohl (though he could use eyeliner better than Mai), the way he held himself with what others would call arrogance (even finding himself believing it on occasion).

No wonder Anzu preferred him to Yugi. He was every girls' fantasy/what they thought they deserved. Yugi loved Anzu but didn't have the heart to tell her that his other self preferred women like Aileen of Ishizu; intelligent and strong with an understanding of how games work without getting mad when they lost. What struck the boy as odd though was that his partner seemed to be attracted to them, but he didn't like them. Yami was weird, especially when they talked about the opposite gender and discussed their personal tastes. It got really weird when the pharaoh stated that Odion was way better looking than Marik.

…

One of the few things Yugi hated about being a teenager was the fact that he got aroused easily. It didn't help that the spirit that lived in his head was an odd combination of masculine and feminine. He didn't know if his yami did it on purpose or not, but he sometimes looked like a girl… a exceptionally cute girl…

Which led to the awkward circumstance poking out of his pants as he saw his partner in his mother's apron; imitating her cooking through paramimes.

…

He was bored and he was pretty sure his partner was bored too. Yugi never really did enjoy English class, math and science could be fun since it was more hands on and sometimes even involved games but English… ugh. Not only was his teacher a tyrant in a short skirt, but they were always made to listen to long lectures that consisted of her 'always right' opinions. Perhaps if he offered a game… well more like of course Yugi would want to play. But what should they play? Perhaps one of those number related ones, like the diamond method or Sudoku. No, they normally saved those for his math class. How about…no they played that last time. It's difficult to choose something to play when you are playing games constantly.

…

He loved Yugi, he was man enough to admit it to himself but not to the one mentioned. Well, to be fair, he knew the boy well enough to understand that the spirit loved him, but just in a platonic way. Not the deep burning desire he felt from seeing his little one doing the simplest of tasks. His expression of determination, his clumsiness that he stammers an apology for, oh and his favourite, his face of sheer glee when he got a new card he likes or video game. No creature should be that sinfully cute. But that was his partner and if it had been anyone but Yugi they would have been killed brutally by now.

Funny though how since he had met the boy he wasn't as blood thirsty or rage filled. Also, he didn't have fake emotions or evil plots (except against the boy for fun) and was relatively calm. If he didn't know any better he'd think he had been tamed…

…

His little one wasn't as they called 'gay'. He lusted for the female form, watched the same lewd videos as Jou, and couldn't help but look up Anzu's skirt whenever he had the chance. He fantasized about shapely women during his 'alone time' and was even once caught by his darker half having dirty thoughts involving the Dark Magician girl wearing nothing but her wand shoved up an incredibly filthy area.

What confused the spirit though was that when his friends had called him (jokingly) Yugi's boyfriend, the idea wasn't disgusting to his partner. Even odder it fascinated him. Like he'd almost consider pairing with a spirit that lived in his head, even a male spirit.

What made it even more confusing was that during one of his little one's more recent 'alone time' he had fantasized about his Yami in a lewd school girl uniform and a paddle.

…

Jounochi had given him a new cassette tape which meant 'happy Saturday night alone time sessions' to Yugi.

All he had to do lock up his side of the mind link and his bedroom door then he'd be all set. He felt guilty whenever he did the task nowadays since he did share this body with another but damn it he needed some way to get things out (preferably from his not so dangly parts) He hoped Yami didn't know, he'd probably be grossed out, thinking that 'little Yugi' touching himself was against the laws of nature. But Gods did it feel good~

…

Yugi is a horrible liar. That is one of the first things Yami learned when his partner started developing a personality. Which was why he was right now poking through his little one's mind, trying to figure out why he was being so secretive. With little to no effort the spirit found what he was looking for… only to punch one of the shadows he controlled in the eye once he registered what he saw

Yugi had a date with Anzu and thought the spirit would embarrass him. He had never wanted to murder and cry at the same time before…

…

Walking through the park, getting ice cream, playing (and forfeiting before it had started) Dance Dance Revolution, then going out to dinner. Yup, Yugi's date with Anzu was going swimmingly except… Except that he kept mentioning the pharaoh. He didn't mean to, it just came out, and it didn't help that he already felt guilty for leaving the puzzle at home and not telling Yami about this. He knew that the older man would either be a grouch because he would be bored or he'd embarrass the boy, which of course was something he didn't want on a special occasion.

But he his thoughts were pestered with nothing but the spirit, how he would have chosen a game and how he would had rather had falafel instead of ice cream and how his partner would have rather sit outside for dinner that way he could see the stars (and get depressed when he only saw a few since they lived in a city). Thankfully Anzu was oblivious to this and the two enjoyed their time. Yugi walked her home and, to his excitement, received a peck on the cheek.

The night should have been perfect but it wasn't, something just didn't feel right, like there were no sparks. It felt empty and the boy knew that he didn't enjoy himself as much as he should have or as much as he did doing normal things with his other half. Was he out growing Anzu? Or, was he just noticing this for the first time?

…

The puzzle had never looked dimmer than it did when Sugoroku entered his granson's room. He had been planning on leaving a slice of the sponge cake his mother had made (if the boy had known he probably would have canceled the date just to enjoy his favourite dessert). The millennium item looked like a dying ember trying to find a reason to continue glowing, though with little results. The spirit and the old man rarely encountered one another, most of the time the look-alike of his grandson only saw him out of the need of rescuing. Perhaps he could attempt to return the favor? It's difficult to console something you can't see or hear, plus his daughter in-law would question his sanity further.

"Good evening Pharaoh…"

The puzzle flickered dully in response, almost as though to say 'leave me alone'.

"Have I ever told you about Yugi's grandmother?"

The spirit only knew what Yugi did, that she had gotten ill a couple of months before he was born then passed away a month before his birth.

"Errr… One flash for yes two for no…"

The puzzle flickered twice.

"She was engaged to another man when we met… As you can imagine I had no intention of coming between that."

The puzzle remained a bored gold.

"What I'm trying to get at is you can't be mad at the boy for doing things on his own and you can't always help him choose. He's a smart one and he'll understand one day."

The spirit snorted irritably then resided in his soul room. He couldn't help but look back fondly at one of the more recent duels against his little one… only to think bitterly that he would not be his for much longer.

…

For once Yugi felt completely confident in his ability to defeat his other half. All he had to do was destroy his last monster that Yami had on the field and then he'd get the taste of sweet victory (which would be even sweeter since he'd be winning with no help!)

Wait…

WHAT?

How did he?

…

Why…?

… "I hate you Mou Hitori No Boku"

His partner's retort was a toothy smirk and a playful flick to the forehead. Sticking his tongue out at the spirit only caused him to cackle (the boy shivered slightly since his partner was terrifying whenever his did so).

"If you like we could play again?"

"You're on!"

…

'He's probably tasting something much sweeter right about now'

He scowled at his own train of thought but knew that when a boy and a girl are together… things tend to get more intimate. Why was this affecting him so much? What about all those times he'd try and get his partner to ask out Anzu? What makes this any different? He hated to admit that he knew the answer, which was that his partner probably wouldn't even have the guts to look the girl in the eye if others knew about his actions. He deliberately excluded the spirit since then he wouldn't have any one teasing him if he backed out. And look at the results… now he'd probably come home a man, though the spirit has no right to judge him that regard. He may not remember much, but he did know that he himself was anything but innocent… plus those lustful glances from the dark magician girl whenever she was on the field was a dead giveaway that they must have had some history (though he wasn't the biggest fan of dumb blondes). Plus he heard Bakura's evil side once call him an 'Egyptian Prostitute' while having the usual gossip with Marik (Gods was he the only one who noticed these things?)

...

It was cold. It was raining. It was windy. And lightning was the icing on the cake for yugi as he shivered in his bed, covered with 3 blankets for the sake of keeping warm and hiding from the light dancing across the dark blue sky.

'Mo… Mou hitori no Boku?'

'Yes Yugi…'

It was painfully obvious to the pharaoh that the boy was afraid. He was shaking and a small whimper wormed its way through his tightly sealed lips.

'Would you like me to come out or would you prefer your soul room?'

'Soul room please'

And with that the boy joined the darker man into the brightly coloured room filled to the brim with toys and games.

"So… what would you like to play?"

Yugi looked through multiple titles in his room finding difficulty choosing a game where they would be equals.

"How about… Truth or Dare?"

The words had come out of his mouth before he could even process them, on top of his shelf was a pile of cards with possible questions to ask in said game.

"Why not…"

Yugi couldn't help but notice the melancholy or rage filled tones his other half had been using lately, plus he hadn't been using the normal nicknames, only calling the boy 'Yugi'. The spirit had insisted that the other go first since he himself was not familiar with this game.

"Truth of Dare?"

Yugi hoping his other half chose truth so he could figure out what was bothering him.

"Truth, I suppose…"

"Are you mad at m-"

"No."

The answer was firm and laced with ice almost like being struck. It was a tone Yugi was more than familiar with when it was directed towards an opponent but never towards himself. The game continued, none the less, with his darkness's turn.

"Truth or Dare?"

The boy took his other half's lead.

"Truth"

"Did her cunt suck?"

The words were deadly and venomous, even worse than the ones before. The vulgar manner of his other wrecked him so much that Yugi couldn't register them.

"Wha-What?"

"Was she tight?"

Plenty of people may be twice his height, but the boy had never felt smaller. Yami never got angry with him or used lewd language. He talked politely and was a gentleman… when talking to someone he liked ( why did he have to use the word 'fat ass' against Panic the boy will never know).

"Pharaoh, what's wrong? What did I do-"

"Answer the question!"

Was Yami jealous? Was he so offended by being left behind ( or by the boy having Anzu to himself)? He couldn't concentrate with the cold glare directed at him.

"Forget I asked, I forfeit my turn…"

"Fine, Truth or Dare?"

"Dare."

"I dare you tell me what's wrong."

"I forfeit"

"You can't do that!"

"Watch me!"

Intent on leaving his partner's soul, the spirit moved sternly to the door; only to have small but firm hands grab his arm.

"Don't touch me!"

"Talk to me Mou hitori no Boku!"

He growled in annoyance but couldn't tear his gaze from the pleading purple orbs before him. They were much less intimidating than his merciless red but when it came to tugging at one's heart strings they were effective.

"What do you want of me?"

"To let me help you!"

The boy trembled slightly, obviously hurt. His eyes glistened with unshed tears, not relenting his stare almost as if though to break down his other self with those innocent spheres.

"You're always there for me… Why can't I help you now?"

"Do you have any idea what you do to me?"

It was Yugi's turn to be annoyed. What did he mean?

"Of course you don't, you always know what's wrong with your friends. Do you truly think so little of me? Am I just that lonely ghost who you have pity on by giving up your body?"

A warm smile appeared on the youth's face. It was loving, like what a husband might give to his wife after he found out she was pregnant.

"You of all people should know that's a lie. You're my best friend and I'll admit sometimes I don't worry about you as much as I do the others, but that's because I know you can handle it. You're the smartest and strongest person I've ever met and no matter what happens I know you'll pull thro-!"

A pair of warm lips were firmly placed on his own, cutting him off.

…

Au: I'll probably only get reviews for leaving it like that… but they'll still be appreciated~