(A/N: I don't have much to say right now because I'm really tired. So, I apologize yet again for my failure as a writer and hope it was worth in the slightest. Enjoy!

I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of its characters!)

Chapter 15

The first time one of them says "I love you"… well, it could definitely be under better circumstances.

During the past few days, Yugi's parents have found a very interesting change in their son's mood. You see, Yugi is usually a very upbeat kid, always smiling, trying to see the positive side in everything that goes on around him, even if the same stuff could get everyone else down.

But now, he's nothing more than… quiet.

Extremely quiet. He stays silent during dinner with his family, he hasn't participated in school, and, the strangest thing of all, he hasn't put on his favorite music to draw anymore. He's always been the one to make noise around the house, but now there's no sound coming from him at all.

So it's completely normal that Mr. and Mrs. Mutou are worried about their son. The both know Yugi's been different because of his out of nowhere break-up with Yami. They know he doesn't want to talk about it, but they don't want him to keep it all bottled up to himself.

"Yugi?" his mom tries once while he's in his room, lying face-down on his bed and drawing on his sketchbook. "Honey, is something the matter?"

Of course something's the matter, what a stupid question.

"No, Mom," he answers without turning to look at her. "Everything's fine."

She knows he's lying. "Okay," she says, though. "But remember, sweetie, your father and I are here if you ever want to talk, all right?"

"Right, Mom."

Aristos suggests taking him to a psychologist—not exactly because of his mood, but because he thinks Yugi's behavior might also have to do with the fact that he was beaten up and almost killed.

"Aristos, Yugi does not need psychological help," Amelia argues.

"What if he does?"

"He would've been different since before the—"

"Not necessarily," Aristos says. "He didn't show any signs of trauma right after the accident, Amelia, because he had a support system."

"His relationship," she adds, realization sinking in.

"Exactly. He stayed strong because he had something—someone—holding him. And when that support system crashed, reality began to take its toll on him."

"Do you really think we should get him help?" Amelia wonders, crossing her arms over her chest. "I don't know, Aristos. I don't want to put him through something he doesn't need."

"Let's give him time," he decides. "Maybe you're right and his change in behavior will vanish once he's had time to think things through."

The good news; Amelia was right. Yugi is a strong boy who will not be brought down by anything, including a hate crime.

The bad news; Yugi has become even stranger. But it's not because he's damaged, no; after all, he's a strong boy.

He's just become a little quieter.

And his parents don't know, but it doesn't mean there's something wrong with him.

All Yugi has done since his break-up is wonder what brought it on.

He and Yami had seemed perfectly okay before. Even after the hate crime, nothing seemed to be different. Yami even spent some days at the hospital with Yugi during the time he had to stay under watch. He would lie down next to Yugi and hold him and kiss his face and tell him that he was the most beautiful person in the entire world, and that he didn't deserve any of this.

"No one does," Yugi recalls saying.

"I know," Yami replied, "but much less someone like you."

And suddenly, three days after Yugi's out of the hospital, Yami's breaking up with him.

What could've gone wrong in the span of those three days?

"You're perfect."

"Clearly not enough for you."

"That's not what I mean."

"Then what do you mean? You're sending me mixed signals here, why are you—"

"Because you need someone better. You don't need me."

Why in the world would Yami think such a stupid thing?

He's painting another flower as he ponders on his thoughts. Yugi knows he doesn't need anyone else, but it's clearer than water that his ex-boyfriend definitely doesn't see it that way.

Ex-boyfriend.

God, even thinking the word makes his chest ache.

Besides, Yami hasn't exactly been showing relief from it, either. In school, Yugi can catch him stealing glances at him; surprisingly, they're worried glances, like he's trying to make sure he hasn't vanished from the face of the Earth or something. One day, too, the same girl who'd told them they looked really good together walked up to Yami in the middle of the hallway. Yami didn't notice Yugi was a few lockers away, not wanting to eavesdrop but really doing nothing to help it.

"How come we haven't seen you guys together anymore?"

"We?" Yami asked.

"Yeah, I mean, the entire school has noticed something's really off with you two. Like, we don't see you hanging outside school anymore."

Yami stayed quiet for a couple of seconds before answering, "We broke up," but Yugi could hear the hurt in his voice, the sorrow, the regret…

"What, seriously? I'm so sorry to hear that," the girl said, and she meant it. "I hope I'm not being too intrusive, but may I ask what happened?"

"It's, um…" Yami held a hand to his eyes, and he started trembling, even just a little, yet Yugi noticed. He saw him trying to breathe through his nose. "It's complicated," he finished before turning on his heels and walking opposite the girl (and thus, opposite Yugi). That day, Yugi realized that Yami's reasons for breaking up with him—whatever those reasons may be—had little or nothing to do with the hate crime he was victim of. Everybody, from freshmen to seniors, had already seen the bandage wrapped around half of his head and one of his eyes, so if that was it, Yami could've just said so.

But he didn't.

Which crosses "Yugi's hate crime" off from the list of options.

Then what was it?

Yugi knows that the only way this will be cleared up is to ask Yami himself.

Except Yami isn't answering his calls or messages or talking to him or communicating with him in any way.

Maybe it's time he recurs to a bit more… drastic measures.

Yami has been more miserable now than ever. He feels tired all the time; emotionally and physically exhausted. Even though he's been sleeping regularly (and some days even more), he feels as though he hasn't really rested at all.

Then again, maybe it's the guilt taking over him. He's been ignoring Yugi since their break-up, mainly because he doesn't want to face him and have to answer any questions he might have, which he guesses must be a lot. His parents have talked to him countless times already; their pep talks are no good for him. They tell him what he already knows, and he's tired of listening to it.

But more importantly—Yami doesn't want to see or talk to Yugi for fear that he'll immediately beg him to forgive him and take him back. He doesn't trust his will not to crumble in front of the boy.

The silence in his room is so strange to his own ears that he doesn't jump when there's a constant knocking on his door. It's not locked, though, so if it's his mom or dad, why don't they just come in? I thought they said they'd go to the movies, Yami thinks, frowning as he moves to open his door.

And as soon as he does, he has to resist the urge to kick it closed and lock it with chains.

Because it's not his mom or dad standing there—it's Yugi, with half of his face and one of his eyes still covered in that horrible bandage, his healthy eye frowning and narrowing in anger, his arms crossed over his chest.

Yami has to restrict himself from stumbling over his words. "W-what're you—?"

"We need to talk," Yugi snaps, cutting him off.

"About what?"

"You know damn well about what."

This is what he feared. "Yugi, I'm sorry, but right now I'm busy, so I'm going to have to ask you to leave." He doesn't mean to be rude, but that's the only way he can stop himself from jumping into his arms and kissing him and stop it. He's about to close the door and turn over the lock when Yugi's foot stands between it and the doorframe.

"You can't just cut me off from your life like this!" Yugi's screaming, screaming angrily, and he's never sounded surer, stronger. He pushes his way into Yami's room as if he did it all the time.

"I'm not cutting you off from anything," Yami tries to say, but his voice is cracking and he doesn't sound convincing. "There is nothing to talk about."

"Like hell there isn't!" Yugi turns around to stare right into Yami, who still has a hand around his doorknob. "I want to know why you broke up with me. And I want a real reason."

"I gave you a reason," Yami replies, but he's starting to shake, and if Yugi doesn't leave now, he's going to burst into tiny little pieces. "You don't need me. And that's that." There's a small moment full of awkward silence before the boy speaks again.

"You know," Yugi says. "We may not be together anymore—" God, that makes Yami's heart burn so badly and he almost can't stand the pain. "—but I thought that more than anything, we were best friends."

How Yugi uses "were" makes Yami cringe.

"We are best friends."

"Best friends don't ignore each other," Yugi mutters, the anger in his voice being replaced by sadness. "They don't ignore your calls, or your texts, or invent excuses to avoid you. Best friends don't lie to each other, Yami."

No, they do, Yami thinks. They do when they want to protect you.

"I thought that at least I deserved the truth."

You do, Yami continues thinking. I just can't bring myself to tell you it. Why isn't he saying this out loud? Why is he keeping it to himself? Because outside his mind, he's still quiet and Yugi's still staring at him, expecting an answer.

Yugi sighs, almost disappointedly, and he runs his hands through his hair, careful not to mess up the bandage wrapped around his head.

"I'm going to walk out that door," he says. Yami's feeling slightly relieved that this damn mess is going to end for now, until Yugi continues. "But when I do, it's over: us as a relationship and us as a friendship."

Yami can hear the sound of his heart shattering inside his chest. He opens his mouth yet nothing comes out, even though he wants to stop him, even though his thoughts are racing and all he can think is, No, no! Don't go, I need you!

Yugi moves towards the door, his steps slow, as if he were giving Yami time to stop him. "Thank you for your time," he says, like this is some kind of business meeting that went awfully wrong.

Yami's feelings are mixed. He wants to allow Yugi to walk away, to move on, even if it means never seeing him again—knowing that he's happy and safe will be enough to him. But the greater part of him wants to stop him from leaving, to pull him into his arms and say, Please never leave. Please never walk away from me, I'll die without you.

And maybe he doesn't exactly listen to that greater part.

But he does so more than he listens to the first.

He reaches out and grasps Yugi's wrist in his fingers just as the boy is about to walk out.

"What're you—"

Yami's lips are covering Yugi's before he has any time to state his objections. Yami's hands move to cup Yugi's face between them, and Yugi sighs and melts into the kiss, his fingers soft and light over Yami's waist, both of them just holding each other close.

When they finally pull apart after what seemed like an eternity even though it was just a couple of seconds, they lean their foreheads together, their positions remaining the same, and Yami notices that Yugi's crying, tears coming out of his healthy eye.

"Why?" Yugi asks. Yami doesn't need to ask what he means.

"You don't need me," he repeats, almost in a monotone voice, like it's the only answer his mouth can pronounce.

"That's not true," Yugi says, closing his eyes and just breathing. He's not only claiming Yami's statement is false—he's also claiming Yami's lying again.

"I don't know."

"Yami, I'm not stupid. I see the way you look at me in school. Give it another try."

"What do you want me to tell you?"

"The truth. That's all I want."

Yami bites his lip. "I can't tell you that."

"Why not?" Yugi whispers, his voice low and small. "We've always been honest with each other," he says, and he's got a good point. "Yami, please."

"I meant it when I said you don't need me," Yami tells him, and he continues before Yugi can interfere. "You need someone better."

"What are you talking about? What do you mean, someone better?" Yugi demands as Yami pulls away from him, walking over to the edge of the bed. "Wait," Yugi starts, and Yami can see in his eyes how realization hits him all of a sudden. "Does this… does this have to do with the—"

"The hate crime," he finishes, his eyes getting watery.

"But that's not what you tell people who ask you why we're not together!"

"I'm not going to go around telling everyone that asks me that I'm not good enough!"

"Good enough for what, to be what?" Yugi questions, his voice rising.

"To be your boyfriend!" Yami screams, his tone matching Yugi's. "I wasn't there for you and you almost got killed!"

"But I didn't!"

"But you almost did!"

"Why are you making such a big deal out of this?"

"Because it is a big deal!"

"It's not! Look at me, Yami!" Yugi gestures to himself, his hands wildly signaling himself up and down. "I'm fine, Yami, look at me, I'm fine! I'm not a freaking porcelain doll, you know, I'm not going to break just because some people beat me up!"

"That eye proves the contrary!" Yami yells, pointing at the bandage wrapped around half of Yugi's face. "You don't know how worse it can get! And I don't, either! Neither of us knows what's going to happen! We don't know if, if tomorrow o next week or, or in a month, it'll happen again and, and this time they won't stop! And if I couldn't be there for, for you in that moment, then I—"

"You were there for me!" Yugi interrupts him. "I got out of that as, as good as I did because you were there for me when I needed you!"

"I was too late!"

"No, you weren't! And if you c-could be a little clearer in what you're trying to tell me, that'd be great, because I still can't completely figure it out!" Yugi cries, his voice shaking.

"I don't want to lose you!"

"We're back to square one, Yami! Then why did you—"

"Because I love you!"

And that's that.

Silence.

An irritably awkward silence full of gasping and trying to control breaths.

They'd never told each other "I love you."

"Y-you…" Yugi mutters. "You… what?"

But Yami doesn't seem to pay as much attention as Yugi to his words. He sits on the bed, his elbows resting on his knees and his head buried in his hands. "It's like with Becky," he mumbles miserably. "I couldn't protect her," he stammers, sobs drowning his words and making him stumble through them. "I couldn't protect her and she died. It… it devastated me, Yugi. I-I can't risk losing you too or I'll… I'll die." He's crying now. He feels the hot, salty tears marking his skin as they roll down his cheeks.

"Is that why you broke up with me?" Yugi asks softly, his voice back to normal.

Yami nods slightly, just a tiny nod of his head. "You need someone… who can protect you," he muses. "And… I-I'd rather not be with you than lose you."

Yugi's suddenly kneeling in front of him, his hands on Yami's knees. "Yami," he calls sweetly, and the older boy lifts his head from his palms, fingers resting over Yugi's. "You can't protect me from everything," he states. "Sometimes I'll get hurt, sometimes you'll get hurt, but it's part of life," he says simply, turning his hands so that he can interlace their fingers together. "They're experiences you learn from, both good and bad. "You're beating yourself up over something you have no control of."

Yami smiles wryly, sniffling a little.

"Besides," Yugi continues, "think about it. Rebecca wouldn't want you to be like this; not now that you've finally made peace with yourself and her death." He cups Yami's face between his hands and kisses his forehead. "You know how I wasn't scared when I got out of the hospital?" A shake of the head from the boy sitting down on the edge of the bed. "Because I knew I'd have you. I knew that, as long as I was with you, nothing could really bring me down. I would always manage to stand up again, with you holding my hand to help me up."

His best friend laughs then, a bit high and nervous, and he rests his chin on Yugi's forehead. "I'm sorry," Yami murmurs, tears streaming down his eyes. "I'm so sorry for hurting us both."

"It's okay," the boy whispers. "It's okay now."

"I love you."

He pulls away to stare at his best friend, and through the tears in Yami's eyes, he sees it: love. Even though it's young, it's not only the head-over-heels-for-you love—it's also the I-just-can't-leave-without-you love. Yami swallows heavily, but he doesn't say anything else. He's not pressuring Yugi into saying "I love you" back. He's just putting his feelings out in the table.

Yugi smiles and leans their foreheads together. "I love you too." Because he does, he does, it's the truest fact in his entire life.

Yami wraps his arms around Yugi's neck as Yugi holds Yami's back, his palms pressing to his spine so much it almost hurts, except the closeness between them has never been this emotionally strong and they love to have the feeling of being inside each other's arms again. They hug and kiss and laugh and cry together, lying on Yami's bed, hands caressing faces and lithe fingers squeezing at necks and shoulders and chins.

They whisper "I love you" to each other so much that they lose count after a while.

Life has never been more beautiful.

(A/N: Life does seem beautiful, doesn't it? Freaking hell, that was long. BTW, who wants to celebrate the new Glee episode? In any case, I'm dead so I'll be buried in my room.)