Here's chapter 4!

Disclaimer: I Don't Own Yu-Gi-Oh! Just the plot!

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Chapter 4: Face To Glass

Yami and Yugi ran into the park side by side smiling brightly. They made their way to the swing set and began challenging each other of how far they could jump from the swing. Neither cared about their age or how it looked to others, they were having fun and that was all that mattered to them. They continued to play on the swings for a while then migrated to the monkey bars and the basketball. Their activities soon got them tired and they ordered two strawberry snow cones from a near by vendor and lay in the sun beside the canal where they had met and happily ate.

"This is the most fun I've had in years." Yami sighed happily stretching out.

Yugi smiled brightly.

"I'm glad you're having fun Yami." Yugi said happily, he then moved uncomfortably. "So…. Are you going to go back to Ryu?"

Yami's smile disappeared and he turned away.

"You can stay with me if you like." Yugi added.

Yami sighed.

"Yugi I….." Yami muttered nervously.

Yugi held his breath.

'Please no.' Yugi thought.

Glancing over to Yugi Yami noticed his depressed look.

"I….. I get to pay half the rent." Yami stated with a soft smile.

Yugi let out a sharp gasp and his eyes lit up happily and he threw his arms around Yami knocking them both to the ground both giggling happily like school girls.

"I think this deserves a celebratory snow cone." Yugi stated. "Bet I can eat it faster then you."

"I doubt it." Yami replied with a happy giggle.

"You stay here and I'll go and get them." Yugi said brightly.

Yami nodded in agreement and Yugi happily ran off. Yami smiled happily feeling a heavy weight lifting from his heart and he happily lay back down. The only sound that could be heard for a while was children giggling happily and dogs barking, that was until a sharp, familiar, bone chilling voice cut through the sounds as well as the small amount of happiness Yami had allowed himself to be consumed in.

"Is this where you have been all this time?"

Garnet eyes snapped opened to see Ryu standing above him his shadow completely blocking the sun from Yami, much like his happiness with Yugi.

"R-Ryu, what are you doing here?" Yami asked.

"Looking for you." Ryu stated his green eyes narrowing in anger. "Where the FUCK have you been?"

"I….I was just… I…. er….." Yami babbled desperately trying to sort out his now jumbled thoughts.

It was one thing to hear Ryu's recorded voice over the phone and ignore it, it was a completely different thing to say no to his face.

"I, er, just, sorry, I mean." Ryu mocked sarcastically spitting the words at Yami. "You're coming home."

He grabbed Yami's wrist and was dragging him out of the park.

"Ryu wait…." Yami started.

"Shut up!" Ryu snapped. "How are you just fuck off like that you piece of shit!"

Yami swallowed nervously.

"Please, I'll be home in an hour and I'll do whatever you say." Yami sighed. "Just an hour."

"And why should I agree?" Ryu snapped.

"Because if you continue like this more people are going to notice." Yami stated.

Ryu glanced to either side and saw a few people staring at them. Ryu pushed Yami away.

"Fine, one hour and you had better be home and you had better be ready." He hissed storming away.

Yami made his way back to the canal and sat down eyes staring emotionlessly at the ground. Yugi reappeared with a bright smile on his face passing Yami the snow cone.

"Ready?" He asked with a bright smile, it soon disappeared when he saw the look on Yami's face.

"Yami….. What's wrong?" He asked.

"Yugi I….. I can't stay with you." Yami sighed. "I have to go back to Ryu."

"Wh-What?!" Yugi cried tears forming in his eyes. "Why?!"

"I'm sorry Yugi." Yami sighed. "I just can't."

"Something happened didn't it?" Yugi asked.

"No…. I just…." Yami trailed off.

"It did, Yami-kun please…." Yugi started but Yami cut him off.

"Yugi please, you promised last night." Yami replied.

Yugi let out a soft sigh, he had promised.

"Alright." Yugi sighed.

"I have an hour Yugi, let's make it a good one, ok?" Yami asked.

Yugi just sighed then nodded.

"Alright." He repeated.

"So….. About this snow cone contest." Yami said looking at Yugi with a small smile.

Yugi smiled softly and sat up properly.

"Ready….. Set….. Eat!" Yugi shouted with a happy smile and the two quickly began eating their strawberry snow cones.

The two giggled happily as they tied then clutched their head as they both got a brain freeze. They continued to play and laugh happily together for an hour. Yami glanced at his watch then frowned, it was time to go home.

"I have to go now Yugi." Yami sighed jumping down from the ramp they were sitting on.

"But Yami-" Yugi started but Yami cut him short.

"Yugi, you promised." Yami stated.

Yugi bowed his head then reluctantly nodded.

"Alright, I did promise." He admitted. "I'll walk you home ok?"

Yami shook his head.

"No Yugi, I'll go on my own, I'll ring you tonight alright?" Yami replied.

Yugi frowned but had not choice but to agree.

"Alright Yami-kun." Yugi sighed then gently kissed his cheek. "What about your stuff?"

"I'll pick it up tomorrow." Yami answered.

"Alright, talk to you later." Yugi sighed.

"Bye Yuu-chan." Yami sighed then turned and walked away.

Yami sighed as he walked back to his house, there was no way he would allow Yugi to walk him home, if Ryu saw him….. Yami shivered at the thought. Yami took a deep breath as he looked at the door of his house, no…. his nightmare, he walked inside. Yami quietly made his way through the house, he hadn't found Ryu yet.

'With any luck he's drank himself to unconsciousness.' Yami thought.

A soft scraping behind him made Yami turn around….

CRASH!

Yami screamed louder than he had ever in his life as the empty glass bottle hit the side of his head and scratching his face. Yami gasped for breath as he touched the side of his face then yelped and looked at his blood covered hands.

"Ryu please, I ne-" Yami was cut off as a foot connected with the side of his head and knocked him back crying out in pain.

Ryu growled in anger as he repeatedly kicked Yami's body, chest, arms, anywhere his foot could get contact with. Yami instinctively reached up and covered his head with his already injured face.

"Ryu please I'm sorry." He cried desperately.

Ryu reached down and grabbed his shirt yanking him to his feet and throwing him across the room and into the side of the counter. Yami cried out again and landed on the ground. Yami moaned in pain on the ground clutching his head and stomach.

"What the FUCK did you think you were doing leaving here?" He yelled angrily.

"I'm sorry." Yami cried. "Please forgive me."

"You're ALWAYS sorry you piece of shit!" He screamed angrily slamming his foot down on Yami's arm as hard as he could smirking satisfied at a cracking sound and more of Yami's screams. "Well? What were you doing meeting a fucking skanky slutty friend?"

Yami felt a spark of anger at Ryu insulting his only friend.

"I was trying to get away from you." Yami hissed in retaliation. "And I loved every second of being away from a piece of shit like you."

Ryu's eyes narrowed in anger and he kicked the side of Yami's face again then turned and stormed to the other side of the room.

"And you left a mess in the kitchen, you'd better clean it up." He head Ryu laugh then return holding salt and a piece of glass from one of the jars he had broken earlier.

Ryu put the glass down then reached down and grabbed the front of Yami's shirt pulling him up a little then smirked.

"You bought this right? Don't want it going to waste now do we?" Ryu laughed then poured some of it onto the scratches on Yami's face he had caused earlier with the broken bottle and dropping Yami to the ground

Yami screamed in pain desperately trying to wipe the salt form the injuries to only cause himself more pain from the pressure he was applying with his hand and pushing the salt further into the wounds. He then repeatedly slashed Yami's body with the piece of glass. Yami repeatedly screamed in pain then let out another loud cry when Ryu slammed the glass into his shoulder. Ryu smirked and rose to his feet laughing insanely. Yami tried to rise to his feet but Ryu gently rested his foot on the piece of glass in his shoulder and began applying pressure. Yami cried out again clutched his shoulder. Ryu smirked proudly looking down at his work.

"And if I even suspect you've called an ambulance or gone to the hospital you'll be going through this again." He hissed then laughed, kicked Yami's stomach once more causing the other to cough up blood then left the house, most likely to drink.

Yami clutched his body in pain and began crying only to cause himself more pain as the tears hit his wounds then stumbled upstairs to find the first aid kit and began cleaning himself up.

8pm that night….

Ring ring.

Ring Ring.

Yugi ran into the living room and snatched up the phone.

"Hello?" Yugi said.

"Hey Yuu-chan." A weak voice replied from the other end.

"Yami-kun." Yugi gasped. "Are you alright?"

Yami sat on the bed naked as clothes only irritated his wounds blue, purple and black burses littered almost every inch of his body as well as badly bleeding scratches, Yami didn't have enough bandages and disinfectant to clear all of his wounds so had tended to the worst.

"I'm fine Yugi, why do you ask?" Yami replied smiling softly glad that he was talking to Yugi.

"You don't sound it, and I know about what's going on Yami, what did Ryu do?" Yugi pressured softly.

"Nothing re-" Yami was cut short coughing badly quickly snatching up a rag on the beside table, he was still coughing up blood from the attack. "Nothing really Yugi, he just yelled at me a little."

"Yami I can tell by the sound of your voice he did worse." Yugi replied tears falling from his face at the thought of his only friend being badly injured. "Please, don't lie to me."

Yami sighed.

"I don't want to talk about it Yugi." Yami sighed.

"But…." Yugi started.

"Please Yugi, I'm begging you." He begged.

Yugi bowed his head then nodded though he knew Yami couldn't see.

"Alright Yami, as you wish." Yugi sighed wiping the tears from his eyes.

The two talked until 4am when Yami heard a soft yawn down the phone; a small smile traced his face.

"Do you want to go to bed Yugi?" Yami asked.

"No, I'm fine really." Yugi lied as he continued to yawn.

"I should sleep as well Yugi, we should both go to bed." Yami said.

"Are you sure?" Yugi asked.

"Positive." Yami giggled softly down the phone.

"Alright, are you still going to come to the fair?" Yugi asked hopefully.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world." Yami replied with a soft smile, any chance to see Yugi Yami would take, he would probably have to sneak out of the house but it was always worth it when he saw his smiling doppelganger. "9am by the pier right?"

"Yeah, see you there then?" Yugi yawned.

"See you there Yugi, bye." Yami replied, once Yugi had exchanged his own goodbye Yami put the phone down.

Yami let out a soft sight and slowly lay down on the bed wincing a little at his injuries and tried to get to sleep thinking about his meeting with Yugi. It was strange, when Ryu had insulted Yugi he had never felt such anger in his life, Yami sighed, even though he couldn't do much Yami would do anything to protect Yugi, even his life.

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Please Yami fans, don't kill me, but it's necessary to the plot, please review!