I don't think I've made this clear, so I will now.

In the flashbacks:

Yugi is 15

Jack is 21

When the story is in real time:

Yugi is 17

Joey is 19

Yami is 21

Just something important that needed to be cleared up.

-0-0-0-0-0-

Yugi placed his leather wallet into his back pocket and tugged at the sleeves of his shirt. He exited his bedroom and spotted Jack on the couch, watching television. Yugi tried to ignore his boyfriend, and hoped that he would do the same. But, as Yugi reached the door, Jack's eyes shut up and he growled.

"Where are you going?" He snapped. Yugi felt his skin crawl at the sound of his voice. When had he become afraid of Jack?

"I-I'm going out."

"Out where?" Jack stood up from the couch and walked over to Yugi, pressing the smaller boy up against the wall.

"I'm meeting Joe-Joey and Anzu at the movies." Yugi slightly winced at the sound of his stutter. The last he needed right how was to show weakness. Jack fed off his weakness.

Jack studied Yugi for a moment with his beady eyes. "Cancel." He said, malice lacing his voice. Then he turned around and started back towards his spot on the couch.

Yugi felt his mouth turn dry. He knew better than to talk back, but, something in his mind told him to speak. "We've had these plans for two weeks." He whispered.

Jack spun around and walked back towards Yugi. "And you are going to cancel. Don't bullshit me. You're sleeping with her, aren't you?"

Yugi's eyes widened at the accusation. He wasn't sure what was worse: the fact that Jack accused him of cheating, or the fact that Jack accused him of cheating with a childhood friend. "I-I…Anzu…we're just friends!" Yugi pleaded.

Jack snorted. "I said don't bullshit me. You've been staying late at work, and she's your boss. You're having sex with her in the restaurant? You sicken me."

"We're not having sex! Jack, I'm a virgin. I wouldn't betray you."

Yugi didn't have time to see the hand coming towards him. Before he knew it, he was on the ground, holding a hand to his now bruising cheek. He didn't even have time to speak before Jack grabbed him by the wrist and hoisted him into the air, where he then began to drag the younger boy across the room.

"Jack!"

"Shut up. I need to go out, and I can't trust you to be faithful."

"I would never cheat on you!" Hot tears pricked at Yugi's eyes. Then, he saw Jack open the door that lead to the hall closet. Yugi's eyes widened.

"You'll spend the night in here." Jack shoved Yugi into the closet, throwing him to the floor. Before Yugi could stand, the door was shut tightly behind him and Yugi heard the sound of the lock clicking. Yugi panicked and got right up next to the door and began to pound on it.

"Jack!" Yugi hit the door repeatedly. "Jack, let me out!" But Yugi could hear the sound of Jack's distancing footsteps and then the sound of a door opening and closing.

It struck Yugi. Jack had left. He had left the apartment. He had left Yugi locked in the closet. Yugi sniffed and fell to his knees, leaning on the door with his forehead pressed against the wood. Tears dripped down his face and landed on the floor. Jack was getting more violent with each passing day. He would yell more. He would hit Yugi more. And the younger boy couldn't figure out why. What had he done to make Jack angry? He tried being a good boyfriend. He would make dinner, and keep the apartment clean, despite his grueling hours at the diner.

But Jack didn't seem to appreciate any of his work. Instead, he only seemed to get even angrier. Yugi knew he needed to leave, but he loved Jack. Didn't he? And Jack loved him. Right?

What was he going to do?

-0-0-0-0-

Yugi filled the sink with cold water. He placed his hands into the cool pool and washed his face with it. He was shaking and had to force himself to breath. He looked into the mirror and saw his bloodshot eyes and his pale face. He gripped the side of the vanity to stable himself and tried to calm himself down.

"Calm down." He said softly, closing his eyes. "You don't even know if that was Jack." Yugi tried to convince himself. It didn't make sense for that man to have been Jack. The only similarities he shared with Yugi's ex were the blue eyes. Besides, he hadn't seen Jack in over a year, and was fairly certain the man had skipped town.

He hadn't seen or heard from the man, or of the man, since the incident.

Speaking of the incident…Yugi sighed. The anniversary of the date was coming up. He didn't know what to make of it. He didn't know how Joey would deal with it. The hardest part of all of this had been seeing Joey struggle as well. Yugi could deal with his own pain. It was himself, not having to deal with any other person. But, he couldn't bear to see Joey hurt, especially since Joey had been like a brother to him since the first day they met.

Yugi smiled slightly when he thought of how he and Joey met. It had been nearly eleven years ago, when they were in the first grade. Yugi remembered there were some bigger kids whose names he couldn't remember anymore. They had been picking on him because of his height. Yugi didn't know what to do, or what to say, so he just stood there, taking it.

Then came along this blonde, loud-mouthed kid named Joey. He screamed at the bigger boys to leave Yugi alone and they did. Joey invited Yugi to play with him on the playground and they had been friends ever since.

Joey had been there for Yugi ever since they met. Yugi hated having to put Joey through pain. He knew how hard Joey worked to make sure they both were fed and had a roof over their heads. Yugi worked, but his hours weren't as fluid as Joey's. Sometimes the blonde would work for a full twenty-four hours without a break.

Sighing, Yugi dried off his face and drained the sink. He had to get his mind off the past. Instead, he chose to focus on the date he just finished. Yugi wasn't sure how he felt about Yami. He liked Yami, he seemed like a nice man. But, that was about all he could make an opinion of.

Yami was the first person in a long time to treat him like an adult, and Yugi respected that. But, Yami also seemed possessive. Yugi may not have remembered what happened the other day. All he saw when he tried to conjure up a memory was nothing but a white void. But, if what Yami said was true, then it could be dangerous to hang around him. He had been following Yugi around for almost a week now, and Yugi wasn't sure how to respond to the attention.

Yugi didn't want to upset Joey and Anzu by seeing him, but he also wanted the freedom to make his own choices, and that included who he hung out with. Besides, he kind of already agreed to a second date.

"Well, what they don't know won't hurt them." Yugi said quietly. He didn't like the idea of sneaking around his friend's backs. But, if that was what he had to do, then so be it.

There was the sound of an opening door, indicating that Joey was home. Yugi bit his lip as he stared into the mirror. Could he lie to Joey? He was a terrible liar, and Joey had always been able to see through his facades. But, he didn't want to tell Joey anything. He didn't want Joey to know he had bailed Yami out of jail, and then went on a date with him.

Somehow, he couldn't see Joey taking it very well.

"It's worth a try." Yugi said, shuffling his feet. He was going to lie to Joey, and hopefully get away with it. If he was lucky, then Joey would be too tired to ask very many questions and would just go to bed.

Yugi exited the bathroom and saw Joey digging through the fridge. He pulled out a soda and slammed the door shut, grunting.

He looked up at Yugi and sighed. "We need groceries." He said glumly.

"I can pick some up after work tomorrow." Yugi volunteered. "What do we need?"

"Milk, bread, eggs…I suppose some microwave meals. Those are cheap."

"Is that all?"

"It's all we can afford!" Joey said angrily. Yugi remained quiet. He had seen Joey like this before, and was used to it by now. The blonde had a reason to be angry. With both of them working minimum wage jobs, they could barely met their rent, much less pay for food. The only consolation they had was that utilities such was water and electric were paid along with the rent. They could go a day without eating, but with both of them coming home in sweat nearly each day, they could not go without a shower.

"Things will get better." Yugi said softly, trying to console his friend. "You'll see. Maybe your boss will give you that promotion."

"Actually…" Joey said, "In a few weeks, there's supposed to be this duel monsters tournament."

"Really?" Yugi said, excited. He hadn't played duel monsters in years, although he still loved the game. He had his cards stashed in a box under his bed that hadn't been touched in a while.

Joey nodded. "Nearly everybody is complaining, but I figure if I keep my mouth shut and do my job, I can be something more than a bellhop."

"Assistant Manager Wheeler."

"Yeah," Joey snorted, "I get to go from dealing with rude people telling me to carry their bags, to dealing with rude people trying to skip out on a bill."

Yugi shrugged. "At least it's more paperwork, less physical work."

"I suppose so." Joey opened his can of soda, letting it hiss for a moment before taking a sip. "So, what did you do today?"

Yugi felt his face turn red and tried to remain calm. "Nothing." He lied. "I just stayed here and watched TV."

He waited anxiously for Joey's reply, for Joey to scan him up and down with his brown, scrutinizing eyes and ask for the truth. He never had gotten away with lying to Joey. He didn't know if it was because he was just that bad a liar, or if Joey had just known him long enough to figure out if something was wrong. Either way, Yugi hoped and prayed Joey would buy his answer and leave him alone.

"Mmm." Came Joey's reply. Yugi felt his heart rise up. Joey hadn't given much of a response, but he wasn't pressing the issue either. He seemed to have bought Yugi's story. "I'm going to take a shower." Joey said flatly, taking another sip of his cola.

"Alright." Yugi said, watching his friend step by him. Joey walked into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. Yugi's eyes wandered over to the fridge. He opened the door and frowned. All there was were a few cans of soda and some rotten fruit. Sighing, he pulled out the container of rotten grapes and walked over to the trash can. They were black and wrinkled, almost like raisins and they smelled repulsive. Yugi threw them into the trash and stared at them for a moment.

'At least I had lunch.' He though, trying to ignoring the growl of his stomach.

-0-0-0-0-0-

The next morning, Yugi left the apartment early to get to work and earn some extra cash for the shopping he would have to later that night. Joey had still been asleep when he left, but Yugi was able to leave without telling his roommate.

There was another alternative to his leaving early. Yugi couldn't bear to look Joey in the eyes, not after he had lied to him yesterday. Yugi still couldn't believe he had gotten away with it. Never before had he been able to lie to Joey and the blonde not figure it out. They had known each other for over a decade, and Joey seemed to be able to read Yugi like an open book, even when the smaller boy tried to hide his emotions. Joey knew when Yugi was happy, when he was sad, angry, and when he was lying.

The small teen was still waiting for the call from Joey once he figured out the truth.

Joey still thought Yami was in jail, so it probably wouldn't be until a few days before he figured it out. It was only a matter of time, Yugi knew it. He just hoped he could postpone it as far as he could.

While he thought of that, the image of Yami also came into his mind. Yugi wondered when he would see the older man again. He was aware they kind of arranged a second date for Sunday, but it was only Wednesday. Would he see him before Sunday?

Yugi didn't know why he was so interested in the older man. He barely knew anything about him, but yet he went so far as to get him out of jail. True, it hadn't been fair that Anzu called the cops on him, and Yugi had felt a little guilty. But, why did he care? Why was he so concerned about a stranger?

It was just a mystery to him. Yugi shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He needed to get Yami out of his mind. It was just a distraction, and that was the last thing Yugi needed at the moment. He found himself outside the Mazaki diner, and pushed open the door, barely registering the small ring of a bell.

"Yugi?" Anzu said, from behind the counter. From the looks of it, she had just opened up the restaurant and wasn't expecting any of her co-workers to show up for sometime. She glanced down at a wrist-watch and furrowed her brows. "You're early. You're not scheduled to start for another two hours."

"I know, Anzu. But, I thought I could start early. Maybe help you with the morning cleanup?"

"Well," Anzu said, sighing, "you're already here. Might as well put you to work." She smiled.

"Arigato, Anzu. Thank you."

"Get into uniform and you can start wiping down some tables. We're going to have a busy day ahead of us."

Yugi nodded, and ran to the back of the restaurant, stripping out of his sweats and into his work clothes. He took the time to sniff the clean fabric, inhaling it because it smelled sweet. Feeling a soft smile come to his lips, Yugi grabbed some rags and a bucket of water and went to work.

He became engrossed in it, scrubbing the tables, wiping down the old grim and food stains, that when the diner actually opened two hours later, Yugi was not aware. Time seemed to have slowed down for him, and when he realized what time it was, he threw aside the bucket and rags and went to a table, where he resumed his job as a waiter.

-0-0-0-0-

It was nearing sunset when Yugi left work and headed to the small market. It was crowded, and Yugi found himself having to fight through the aisles to get the food he needed. His small basket was already full of eggs and milk, and he was working hard to get the TV meals that made up the majority of his and Joey's diet. The small hole-in-the-wall store was far more crowded than Yugi anticipated for the late hour, and was having a difficult time getting his small frame past the larger people. It made what should've been a simple, everyday task, a complete and utter nuisance.

After finally making to his desired aisle, Yugi found himself with another problem. The shelves were much higher than what he was used too, and he struggled to reach the food. He found himself on his tiptoes, reaching as high as his arm would go and he still couldn't reach it.

Out of nowhere, a hand reached just above Yugi's and grabbed the object Yugi was aiming for.

"Need some help?"

"Ah, arigato." Yugi murmured, turning around. He was surprised to see Yami standing in front of him, holding the box. "Yami?"

Yami smiled and handed the food over to the shorter boy. "I was out walking and I saw you walk in here. I figured I might as well say hi."

Yugi stuck the box into his basket and frowned. "So, you're stalking me now?"

Yami's face flushed and he shook his head vigorously. "No, no! Where would you come up such an idea?"

"It's kinda obvious…" Yugi said matter-of-factly. "You're not from this part of town. And, what reason would there be for you to solicit around here, all hours of the day?" Yugi and Yami began to wander down the aisles, hardly paying attention to the people around them. "The only explanation is that you wanted to see me."

Yami found himself impressed by Yugi's deductions. They were completely true, but Yami didn't want to make the boy afraid of him. He was still concerned about how fast Yugi ran out on their date yesterday. He believed Yugi when he said he needed to make it home before Joey, but for some reason, Yami couldn't help but think there was another reason Yugi ran out, looking as though he'd seen a ghost.

"You are right."

"About what?"

"Everything. I don't live in this area. My home is in the north part of town. And, I have been waiting to see you."

Yugi found an embarrassed smile growing on his face. He didn't know what to make of the attention Yami seemed to be giving him. He hadn't had someone talk to him like that since….

Yugi stopped the thought there. He knew how that began, and he especially knew how it ended. What if Yami was just like him? Yami seemed like a really nice man, but then again, so did Jack.

Ever since his experience with Jack, Yugi couldn't say he trusted people the same. The kinds of wounds Jack left on his body, and his mind, just ran too deep. They weren't the kind that could easily heal up overnight. Even now, almost a year later, they were still fresh in his mind, replaying over and over again.

Yami noticed the sudden change in Yugi's demeanor and became concerned. "Yugi, are you okay?"

"Uh," the smaller boy said softly, before nodding his head, "yeah. Sorry, I was just thinking about something." He tried to fake a smile, but he couldn't make it convincing. It felt foreign on his face, like it didn't belong.

"Is it something you want to talk about?"

"No." Yugi said, almost yelling. When he realized how loud he was, he clamped a hand against his mouth and stopped in his tracks. He let the defensive barrier build up around him. He saw Yami's concerned eye piercing at him, and Yugi felt as though he were standing in front of him naked, exposed.

Fighting back hot tears that threatened to fall, Yugi shut his eyes tight. "I'm sorry." He whispered, so low it could barely be heard.

"Yugi…" Yami said slowly, reaching out to the other boy. His hand touched the back of Yugi's head and the smaller boy flinched violently, inhaling a gasp of air. Yami saw the boy trembling before him.

'What the hell is wrong with him?' Yami thought, furrowing his eyebrows.

Yugi opened his eyes and they were flooded with tears. He tried to speak, but couldn't form the words. He couldn't get his voice out; it was trapped inside him, deep down. Instead, he looked at Yami and mouthed the words, 'I'm sorry'.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Yugi." Yami said quietly, trying to comfort the boy. Inside, he was cursing himself. He had pried again and now he had apparently brought back some unwanted memories. He had been the one to bring out the tears, and knowing he had hurt the smaller boy, hurt him.

"I have to go." Yugi whispered, his voice was rough and hoarse.

It was late and the sun was starting to set. Yami felt his chest tighten. What if Yugi tried to commit suicide again? What if he got into an accident on his way home? "I'll drive you home." Yami said, a bit demanding.

"Please," Yugi begged, "I just really need to be alone right now."

"Yugi, it's late and dark. I'll be damned if I let you go by yourself."

Yugi shook his head adamantly, taking a few steps back. "If Joey sees you…"

"I don't care if Joey sees me." Yami said, clenching his fists. "Besides, he's going to have to know sometime. You don't honestly think you can't keep us a secret forever, right?"

"No, but," Yugi looked down on the floor, "I'd prefer to keep it as long as I can."

"Yugi, please. Just let me drive you home."

Yugi sighed in defeat. "Fine. But, you have to let me enter the building by myself. No following me inside where Joey can see you."

Yami didn't like it. Yugi still could get hurt by walking inside his apartment by himself. But, Yami supposed Yugi did it almost every day, so it seemed childish to follow him around all the time. Besides, Yugi agreed to the ride, and walking down the streets was where he was most likely to get into trouble.

"Deal." Yami said.

Yugi nodded and turned around. He started walking towards the checkout, and bought all his food. Yami noticed a quick change in Yugi's demeanor when the cashier told him the total, but it seemed to vanish as quickly as it had appeared and therefore Yami thought nothing of it.

Yugi followed the older man into his red car and sat quietly in the passenger's seat.

"I'm sorry about yesterday." Yugi muttered, avoiding eye contact.

"It's nothing. I understand." Yami said, driving down the dark road. "Now is not the best time for your friends to know. We have to give it some time ourselves."

Yugi nodded. Slowly, Yami pulled up to the curb of Yugi's apartment and put the car in park. "Here we are. You sure you don't me to walk up with you?"

"I'll be fine." Yugi said, slightly annoyed, but he tried to mask it. He reached for the small, plastic bags and wrapped them tightly around his wrist. "Thanks for the ride, Yami. I really appreciate it."

"Glad I could talk you into it." Silently to himself, Yami couldn't help but think, 'I'd do anything to stop you from ending up dead on the streets.'

Yugi exited the car and slammed the door shut. He smiled and waved good-bye, and then turned around and began to run up the flight of stairs that rested on the side of the building. Yami watched him carefully, not satisfied until he saw Yugi enter the door that was his apartment.

Yami sat there on the edge for several more moments, unsure of what to think. There was something odd about the young boy. He seemed to have sudden mood swings. One moment he could be cheery and outgoing, and the next he was quiet and introverted. Yami couldn't think of anything to explain it. He wasn't a physiologist, but to Yami it was evident Yugi suffered from some kind of emotional trauma.

What was it? And was there anything he could to help heal the broken boy? Sighing, Yami put his car into drive and pulled out of the parking space, driving out of the Red Light Zone and back to his own apartment.

-0-0-0-0-0-

I should probably give Yugi a break…but what fun would that be?

Please review this crappy fic of mine?