A/N: thanks for reading!

(I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh)

*************Chapter 14*************

"So, ah, how did you know that I needed help?" Yami asked shyly as Viktor ran around the room, trying to wedge his body under the closed door (to no avail-he was well-fed).

"Oh. Yugi called; you should probably call him back. He was... frantic."

"He called you?" Yami was surprised that Yugi even had his number. "Is he still with Ryou?" Seto nodded.

"Yeah, I think so. Grab the rat," he told him; every time Seto put his feet on the floor, Viktor stood on his hind legs, trying to climb up Seto's leg. He liked the rat well enough, but it was a little unsettling to have him crawling up your body like a cat would scale a tree. "I'm just gonna go help my mom clean up. I'll leave you to talk to your brother." Yami nodded, appreciating the privacy.

Yugi didn't answer his phone, though. Frowning, he tried Ryou, who answered tentatively on the fourth ring.

"Hey, Ryou. It's Yami. Is my brother there? He's not answering his phone." Ryou didn't say anything for a moment.

"Um, yeah. Can I have him call you back? He's in the bathroom..."

"Okay. Thanks." A few minutes later, Yami's phone rang, although the number on the display was unfamiliar. "Hello?"

"Yami! Are you okay? Where are you?"

"I'm at Seto's. I'm okay. We'll be staying here for a while. Do you have your stuff with you? I don't think it would be a good idea to go home anytime soon..."

"Oh. Yeah. I got my stuff here... I'm staying here tonight, though, okay?"

"Ok. Why didn't you answer your phone?"

"My phone? It's...dead." Something didn't seem right.

"So can I talk to Ryou again?" He was met with silence.

"Uh, he went out for a bit..."

"Hm. That's odd, because I talked to him a minute ago, and he said you were in the bathroom... Where are you?"

"Hey. I'm at Ryou's house, and he went out for a bit, okay? That's true." There was more to this...Yugi's defensive tone was giving him away.

"But?" He prompted him to continue. "What aren't you telling me?"

"Um.... um..... Bakura-and-I-are-together-I-gotta-go-love-you-bye!" He said all in a rush, hanging up and leaving Yami staring at the phone. Had he really just said that? Bakura? Bakura?!

"Hey, you okay?" Seto had walked into the room and noticed Yami's shocked expression.

"Apparently my brother is dating Bakura." Seto raised one eyebrow.

"Bakura, as in the Bakura in our health class, who only shows up about forty percent of the time?"

"If that," Yami muttered.

"So you don't approve, I take it?" Yami shrugged.

"I dunno... I mean, I can't really do anything about it, can I? I don't trust him, though. He's never been very nice to me. He threw rocks at me in second grade." Seto laughed.

"Way to hold a grudge, Yami," he teased, shoving Yami playfully.

"No, but you kind of know how Bakura is... he doesn't have the best reputation. 'Course, then again, neither do I..." Seto put his arm around Yami.

"Hey. Don't worry about it, okay? I'm sure he'll be fine. He's a smart kid." Yami sighed, not entirely convinced. "I mean it," Seto insisted, pulling him closer for a kiss.

"Wait. So.... Yugi's there, and Ryou 'went out' for a bit. What does that even mean? Do I even want to know what that implies?" Seto shook his head.

"Nope. You probably don't." Yugi looked mildly horrified, but Seto laughed again.

"Oh, it's okay. Just don't think about it. Besides, I love-UGH!" Viktor decided to ruin the moment by crawling up the back of Seto's shirt, causing him to bolt upright and leap off of the bed. "Get it off of me!" Yami quickly jumped to his boyfriend's aid, attempting to coax the small creature out of his new hiding place. Viktor was determined, though, and every time Yami would grab him, he would wriggle out of his grasp, burrowing deeper and deeper into Seto's shirt.

"Just take off your shirt." Seto quickly complied, and Yami was finally able to force Viktor back into his cage. Of course, right then, when Seto had his shirt off and Yami was holding said shirt was when Seto's mother chose to open the door.

"Oh!" she squeaked, her eyes going wide in surprise before her face betrayed her excitement. "I'll just leave you two to... whatever you were doing..." Seto rolled his eyes as Yami dropped the shirt as if it had burned him.

"What, catching the rat? Yeah. Thanks." She winked at Yami.

"Uh huh, good one, Seto. Really good excuse." She laughed at her son's angry expression and Yami's bewildered one, then left, closing the door behind her. They could hear Mokuba laughing in the hallway, and Seto shook his head.

"They never grow up." Yami timidly sidled up beside him.

"It's okay, really. At least your family likes each other, you know? I mean, you get mad at your mom sometimes, and sometimes you guys fight, but it isn't really serious, right? I mean, you still love each other. No one really gets hurt, and no one hates each other..." He trailed off, realizing that he had been crying. Seto noticed as well, and hugged Yami close to his body. "I just wish... that Yugi and I had a real family. It seems so nice..."

"It is nice," Seto admitted. "But as long as you want, this is your family." Yami shook his head.

"No, no. We couldn't intrude like that..."

"Are you kidding? You saw my mom. She's thrilled. Mokuba loves you guys, and my dad wants to help in any way possible." Yami still didn't look convinced. Seto held him at arm's length, forcing him to meet his eyes. "Look. It isn't intruding if you are forced into it. Judging by how much my mom already likes you, you have no choice. Okay? This is your family, Yami. Those people who you lived with are not and never were your family, because no one who treats their children like that deserve the title of 'parent.'" A hint of a smile had crept onto Yami's face.

"I like your mom... My mom doesn't like me, because I was the reason she and my dad got married in the first place, so she always told me what a mistake I was. Your mom seems to think that I matter. I... I like that." He was blushing fiercely now, unable to look at Seto.

"She's annoying and immature, but she's not stupid. She doesn't just think that you matter, that you're important, she damn well knows that you are! And so do I." Hearing those words over and over, and the honesty in Seto's voice when he told Yami that he mattered made Yami feel, just for a second, that he could maybe actually feel good about himself.

"You really think I'm important?"

"God yes, Yami. I've never-" this time Seto blushed. "I've never actually... liked... as in liked anyone else. You know why? Because no one I met before you could even come close to measuring up to you. You truly are special, and I love you." Watching Yami's expressions, he had an idea. "Hey. Let's go get my parents and Mokuba to play a board game with us. We can be on a team. Which ones do you like?" Yami shrugged.

"I dunno. Games are more Yugi's thing. For board games, you usually need lots of people. Yugi has friends; I don't-didn't. So I haven't really played many board games."

"Hm. Well, then, we'll just have to try them all out then. Hey, Mom!" He yelled, pulling his shirt back on. "We're going to have that 'family night' you've been bugging us all about. Okay? And no obnoxious giggling allowed!" Yami smiled when he heard her disappointed shout back, about how she couldn't help but be obnoxious, and how it was his own damn fault for having such a cute boyfriend. Somehow, I think I'll like it here...

A/N: Okay, so I started a companion story that focuses on Yugi and Bakura, so maybe you wanna check that out.

Seto's mom, again, is kind of like my mom, except mine is a little more toned down. I'm working on a lemon, so be patient. My other story has lemons. *blush*

I am kinda brain-dead right now, so I can't think of anything else to say...... other than thank you for reading, and I would appreciate reviews. I love you all!

~alex~