a/n: hello everyone. First of all, I want to repeat my thanks to everyone who has stuck around until now. All who fave'd, followed and commented on this little tale, thanks to each and every one of you. I treasure every single one of you *sends hearts and cookies*

I have had requests coming in to see the continuation of the side-stories of side-characters, the peachshipping, chaseshipping and polarshipping parts of the story…some even wanted to see more of Rafael. I am trying not to take any detours away from Prideshipping, which is the main pairing in this fic, plus…I am recently against POV changes. I am sticking to Yami's perspective in the story and it's difficult to follow everything from his alone.

I will be starting a little project, though…each of those pairings will get a small oneshot following their story. I just need to finish this first so I can focus on one thing at a time.

I have had a lovely fanart for this fic drawn up. I've put it on my AO3 account, under the penname Hathor and uploaded with chapter 11. Check it out, it's gorgeous 3

Enjoy.

Bows of Promise

Chapter Eleven

He woke up groggy at a little past three in the afternoon. He stayed in bed, pulling the covers closer and trying not to move too far away from the spot he had been asleep in, so he wouldn't feel the saddening cold spot on the other side of the bed. It was years since he woke up next to someone. Forlornly, his hand reached slowly to the other side, leaving the warmth and touching the depressing coolness next to him. He clenched his fist, staring glumly at the crisp light of winter that drifted sneakily from the space between the closed curtains of the window.

His mind played the events of the previous night and he found himself angry suddenly at the head of their hospital; just why did he give them three days off? Now he had nothing to do or work to immerse himself in so he wouldn't have to think about what happened, about Yugi's words that kept ringing in his ears long after he went home and for almost a whole hour after he went to bed, until finally, tiredness won over and he slept.

Fitfully. Non-restive, discontinuous sleep and filled with a strange blend of nightmares and flashbacks. He woke several times, drinking water each time to try and chase away the bitter aftertaste lingering in his throat every time he woke up. He didn't know if it was bile from his turning stomach or if it was an acid reflux side-effect from the tension or if it was even a psychological effect of what was going on.

He sighed tiredly, retracting his hand closer and pulling it up so he could rub his eyes, while turning to lie on his back. He stared up at the ceiling for a long while, trying not to think of anything in particular because he knew that whatever thought he had, no matter how mundane, would eventually lead him to thinking of things better left forgotten.

Deciding that that would be impossible unless he got up and busied himself with anything, he took a deep breath and did just that. He got up, turned on his coffee machine and left it to percolate while he showered quickly and changed into jeans and a warm grey pullover. He finished drying his hair and, as an afterthought and with a little smile playing on his lips, he pulled the scarf Seto refused to take back from him and wrapped it around his neck.

He sat next to the window overlooking the sea, sipping his coffee and looking at the high waves and the cloudy sky. It looked like it was going to rain later and he made a mental note to invest in an umbrella. Even if he had a car, some places he didn't take the car to and he saw for himself how thick the downpour in Domino was; he didn't think, no matter how healthy he was, he could pull off getting caught in the rain without catching a cold as a result.

He closed his eyes for a few moments, enjoying the muted sounds of the sea and agitated seagulls whose flurry of motion promised the rain he predicted. The fumes from the coffee were hitting the cool skin on his face, his cheeks starting to dry up just a little bit as they usually did in winter. He wanted to get some lotion to avoid the annoying, chafe that would most probably develop soon. He smiled to himself a little, wondering when his cheeks would redden when he warmed his hands. Bakura always made sure to poke fun at him when that happened. On the good days, of course, which were few and far between, he was sad to recall…

His thoughts came to screeching halt and his eyes flew open, heart rate suddenly rising and the peace that the breaking waves brought dissipated by the mere memory. He jumped up from where he had been seated, only just managing not to spill the contents of the half-full mug of coffee all over the carpet and the wooden floor. He swallowed convulsively against the bile that rose to the back of his throat and shuddering slightly at the ill feeling rushing through him at the memories the thought of the name brought back.

It wasn't even the 'memories'. It was something like muscle memory but in a much more depressing and dark way. It was like a phantom pain that spread throughout his entire body, reminding him of dark times not because of a flashback, but just because the name was mentioned.

He briskly walked around the house, heading to his room and placing his mug on the nightstand. He opened the windows, tidied the bed, picked up his scrubs and threw them in the dirty laundry basket, then going around collecting as many dishes as he could –unfortunately not a lot—and taking them to the kitchen to stand washing them methodically in front of the sink.

By the time he was done, it was just past four. He went looking for his phone and called Honda to check on Ryuji. The junior surgery resident picked up after only two rings, sounding a lot better than he did in the early morning hours while Ryuji was getting treated. He asked if they needed a grocery run and to his surprise, Honda told him that Seto brought stuff over about two hours ago. He smiled to himself at that and told Honda to tell Ryuji to get well soon and reassured him again not to worry about his shifts and that he got them covered.

He ended the call, then proceeded to find Yugi's number to call him next. His brother did not call him during the day, so he assumed that Anzu was doing fine. He waited patiently for Yugi to pick up. He was just about to cancel the call when it kept ringing for too long, but heard him picking up just when he was about to touch the end call option.

Yugi sounded tired, but a lot more cheerful than yesterday. They were getting ready to be discharged; apparently Anzu had eaten, looked better. There seemed to be a lot more to Yugi's high spirits, but Yami decided not to press for details yet. He knew it wasn't the time and eventually everything will turn out alright for his little brother; things always turned out alright for him.

He hung up after giving Yugi a few extra tips on picking up some groceries for the injured brunette, absentmindedly noting that it was time to leave for his—date?—with Seto. He sighed, heavy-hearted as he locked the door after him, wondering why things didn't usually come easy for him the way they did for Yugi. He was honest enough with himself to admit that he sometimes felt envious at the ease with which Yugi seemed to handle things. He wasn't saying things were easy for his brother, no, but he definitely had a more effective method of handling life's sometimes unbearable hardships in a way that made Yami wish he was blessed with.

He supposed it was all about energies. He just attracted difficulties because he handled them badly. He shook his head, pulling the car out of the driveway. He didn't want to wallow in self-pity. A part of him whispered that perhaps…just maybe, perhaps accepting this job wasn't such a great idea. Maybe leaving Egypt altogether, wasn't such a great idea. He didn't know if it was the place's working conditions, or if it was getting older and more experienced in his work and hence getting a less strenuous schedule, but he knew for sure that the lack of exhaustion in his work was making room for other unpleasant things to come through. The work was easy. Not too challenging physically. Not like the grueling hours and days after days of staying awake except for half-hour naps that were few and far between, without hope of going home. When he did, he was too exhausted to think about anything else.

This wasn't the case here. At all. Even if yesterday's shift had been exhausting enough mentally to reflect physically on him –and even then, he had problems falling asleep—he had been given three days off to recover. Instead of burying himself in work to forget about what happened, now he had more free time and less things to do to think thoroughly about things better laid to rest forever, collecting dust in a dark corner of his mind.

His heart was heavy in a way that he hadn't felt for a very long while. Yugi's words from yesterday were still ringing in his mind.

"I remember how useless I was to you back then. I want to do something for her."

It was like a slap to the face. He was selfish. He knew that now. He thought that what happened concerned him only. He didn't think Yugi thought that way. All he thought about was forgetting. He never tried to even imagine that what had been a traumatizing experience for him, was also a difficult time for close ones. It made him endlessly guilty, now that he thought of it, that perhaps his deceased grandfather had felt the same before he died. That he had come up short, in some way or another, where he, Yami, was concerned.

There was a bitter sensation at the back of his throat. That, coupled with his dark, depressing thoughts warranted one of those brownies Seto was so fond of. Perhaps he could order one with his coffee, since he also didn't eat anything since yesterday early evening. Maybe share one with Seto.

The thought of the brunet finally managed to bring a smile to his lips. The heaviness he felt lightened just a bit and he parked the car and left it feeling hopeful that his outing with Seto would help take his mind off things.

He found the place they had taken up last time empty. He sat down, setting his keys and wallet down on the table, pulling at his scarf to unwrap it from around his neck and placing it beside him just as the waiter arrived with a menu, pleasantly greeting him with a smile and asking if he was going to order right away or wait for 'Dr. Kaiba'. Yami smiled and nodded, wondering why he was not getting annoyed at people jumping to conclusions about this like he did months ago when he first arrived.

He was left alone to his thoughts and to the breathtaking view of the sea's waves. The soft music and the sad, forlorn and slightly raspy voice of the vocalist in the song playing through the speakers, coupled with the distant whooshing sounds of the high waves breaking and the sound of the gulls all calmed his racing thoughts and he slowly began forgetting all about his worries and the feelings fighting to come out of the shadows acquiesced, returning to their blessed darkness once more.

Savoring the sensation, he glanced at his watch, seeing that it was five minutes past five. He wondered if Seto forgot all about their meeting and felt silly all of a sudden for not reminding him. His cheeks reddened slightly and he picked up the phone, about to call the brunet when the café's door opened and Seto walked in. He was wearing the blue scarf once again, Yami was pleased to see. This time he paired it with a white knit pullover with dark jeans a pair of brown shoes.

Yami watched him as his eyes quickly scanned the place, smiling lightly when the blue eyes settled on him and glinted almost imperceptibly. The grin widened as Seto walked closer, especially when he took note of the reddened tip of his nose. He chuckled to himself as Seto pulled the chair to sit down, openly staring at the frankly adorable sight.

Seto questioningly stared at him, pulling at the scarf to remove it and reveal his neck to Yami's eyes.

"Your nose is all red," Yami explained, carefully not showing how much he wanted to latch on it and focusing instead of the bright red shade of the tip of his nose. Seto grinned, his hand rising so he could rub at it. Unintentionally, it just made things worse and Yami laughed at him once more and Seto playfully batted at him with the extra menu the waiter brought over.

"Did you sleep well?" Seto asked, glancing at him from above the menu.

Yami shrugged, avoiding looking at him by fixing his eyes on his own menu. "Alright, I guess," he mumbled, thoughtfully staring at the dessert section. "Did you try anything else other than those brownies off the dessert menu?"

"Tried the molten cake and the tiramisu. The cheesecake is nothing special though," Seto told him, eyes fixed on him for a few more seconds, before he looked down at his own menu once more. "We can share a brownie if you don't want to ruin your diet."

"I'm not on a diet," Yami mumbled back at him, automatically.

"How's your brother?" Seto asked.

"He's okay… called him an hour ago, said that they were getting ready to get discharged," Yami explained. He closed the menu, sitting back in the cozy chair having already decided to order a latte and play it safe with the cake and get a brownie. "She looks like you, Anzu…"

Seto hummed. He too sat back, but looked out of the window at the sea. He then closed his eyes, resting his head on the back of the seat, sinking lower in it. "It's just because she has blue eyes and brown hair. Otherwise we have very different facial structure."

Yami frowned in confusion, realizing that something was wrong. Seto was as put together as any other time, but for some reason, some things were different. There was faint, dark smudges beneath his eyes where his lashes were resting at the moment. Worry lines were etched between his eyebrows and around his lips. The porcelain skin was just the same, but there was a very faint yellowish tinge to it and now that the brunet was inside and the redness from the cold was fading, it was getting more and more obvious.

Quickly, he scanned Seto's body, searching for signs of distress, signs of pain or excess fatigue or dehydration. He narrowed his eyes, observing the jugular vein's height, making sure there were no distended neck veins. He focused on his breathing, glancing at his watch and counting how many breaths he took in half a minute to confirm that he wasn't suffering from shortness of breath or any irregularity in its pattern.

Once he confirmed that there was nothing physically wrong with him, Yami spoke.

"Are you alright?" his tone was quiet and he didn't know if he was hoping that Seto wouldn't hear him. it was a vain hope, though, since the blue eyes opened and focused on him, a questioning look in them. "You look tired… did something happen?"

Seto leaned forward, eyes fixed on him for a few seconds in which Yami tried very hard not to fidget. "Don't you think yesterday counts as something?"

The waiter chose that moment to arrive with a huge smile plastered on his face, asking if they decided what they wanted already or if he should come back after a few more minutes. Yami let Seto tell him that he wanted a double-shot espresso and then said he wanted a latte and a brownie, declining any ice-cream when the kid asked him if he wanted vanilla or chocolate flavor to the cold treat normally served with the chocolaty confection.

The smiles on their faces faded just as the young man left after promising to arrive with their order shortly. They turned to face one another again, the gloom that hung over them before he arrived settling once again around them.

"Well?" Seto asked a strange look in his eyes.

Yami thought carefully of his answer. He knew there was more to the matter and to that strange look and Seto's strange behavior. He didn't know how he knew, but he just did. He tried to find a suitable answer. "I guess it is a traumatic experience," he started. Seto raised an eyebrow at him. He smiled sheepishly, "Can't say I'm too traumatized, though… at least here we have security to help."

Seto was obviously unimpressed. Didn't even smile in response.

Yami's eye twitched ever-so-slightly.

"Are you alright?" he repeated.

Seto just continued staring at him and Yami felt his ire rising.

"Well… if you called me out here so we can pout at each other all evening long, then I will be just taking my leave…" he snapped.

He grabbed his phone and wallet, other hand reaching for his car keys and he moved to rise from his seat. He had enough on his mind and didn't exactly fancy sitting there with Seto's scowl for company for the entire evening.

Before he could fully rise, however, Seto's hand reached for his, stopping him.

"Wait!" he said. Yami froze in his position. He fixed his eyes coldly on Seto's, a questioning look in them. The brunet sighed, averted his eyes and ran his free hand down his face. "Just sit down, Yami." He said, a defeated tone forcing Yami to yield, slowly sitting back in the armchair and letting go of his belongings. "I'm sorry, I've been on edge all day long."

Yami said nothing, staring at him suspiciously.

"Did you even sleep?" he asked when he realized that the silence was going to stretch further.

The impossibly wide shoulders rose and fell in a shrug. "Alright, I guess…"

There was a pregnant pause.

"You don't have to lie to me, you know," Yami grunted angrily at him. "There's no need to insult my intelligence."

At that, Seto looked up at him once more from where he was focused on the edge of their table, "That makes two of us, then…" Yami blinked at him. "I can see the bags under your eyes, Yami, just as you can see them under mine."

Yami's ears reddened and he looked away. The damn brat cornered him well. He sighed. "I didn't sleep well at all, if that is what you're trying to get out of me."

"It is…" Seto deadpanned and Yami gaped at him. "You don't have to shrug at me and tell me a lie. Automatically, I will do the same to you. And unfortunately, you really don't get to protest it."

Yami looked away, unable to voice his objection and his pride not allowing him to admit out loud that Seto was right. His flush remained at the reprimand. He had been thoroughly admonished, alright. It's been so long… so long, since he was completely honest with anyone. At least about these little things like a bad night's sleep or why he looked so tired.

"I'm sorry… I did not mean to upset you the moment I walked in, really," Seto said. Yami forced himself to look up at him. "It's just that I wanted to ask you something about yesterday and to be honest, I was so sure that you wouldn't share the truth with me, so when I asked how you slept and you didn't trust me enough with something as simple as that, I lashed out," he admitted. Yami raised an eyebrow at him, curious, but he did not elaborate, merely adding, "I didn't mean to pick a fight out of it."

"What did you want to ask?" Yami pressed, feeling the flush starting to disappear and the anger at being cornered fading behind his inquisitiveness.

"No, let it go," Seto shook his head. Yami scowled at him. "Really, don't be stubborn," he retorted. "I asked you how you slept and you can't trust me enough to tell me you had a shitty couple of hours of sleep. Believe me, you will not be willing to answer what I wanted to ask you."

"Just say it, Kaiba and stop messing around," Yami insisted. A niggling part of him warned him that perhaps he didn't want to know and he really shouldn't be pushing things like that. Stubbornly, out of pride, perhaps, he pushed the little voice down, a determined expression drawn on his features.

"If I tell you, you have to answer me," Seto shrugged. Yami narrowed his eyes at him again.

"I don't like doing things that I don't want to do," Yami delicately chose his words.

"And I already reassured you once before that you will not be forced to do anything you don't want to do," Seto calmly replied. Yami watched him closely as he leaned forward in his seat, crossing his fingers together and adding, "This isn't a test, Yami. It's why I don't want to push things further after clashing over the sleep matter. I don't want you to think you are obliged to do anything."

"Yet here you are giving me an ultimatum," Yami snapped, unable to stop his tone from getting heated.

Seto shook his head slowly, "This isn't an ultimatum. Some questions cannot be asked without receiving an answer for them at that moment, Yami. If I ask what I want and you refuse to answer, then you will withdraw further away from me and I will lose you forever. You will go home, build up even higher walls that I can never penetrate."

Yami blankly stared at him. He had made a decision to try his hardest to try and push the conspiracy theorist inside him away. Hearing Seto telling him things like he didn't want to lose him, that he didn't want any walls erected between them…? It tickled a very needy, very neglected part inside him that he thought he had killed many years ago.

Seto didn't even give him a chance to think of those words. He had more to say.

"And I also don't want to break down those walls… I want you to trust me enough to let me in. I don't believe force, or ultimatums or whatever it is you think I am trying to do here, is what will work. I promised you that you don't have to do anything you don't want. If I ask what I came here to ask, you could just refuse to answer and as I said, you will withdraw and we lose everything that might come out of this. Or you find yourself challenged…forced to answer when you don't want to, and in that case, I also lose because I broke the very first promise I made you and you will never trust me again."

Yami stared unblinkingly at him. It was unimaginable. How could someone be so attentive?

In a split second of rash thinking –or lack thereof—he spoke.

"There could be a third outcome," he said. His voice sounded strange. He felt detached. As if someone else was speaking. He could feel Seto's eyes on him…see them. But he was feeling so strange and removed from the situation, especially as he added, "I may want to answer you. Truthfully. Not forced, not challenged."

Seto smiled at him, whatever hardness in his eyes fading completely, "That is what I would like. I understand that you automatically feel the need now to withdraw since I was simply tactless. So please, if you think you will be forced into answering when you don't want to, then just let us let the matter go. We had a very bad night and there is no need to ruin another."

The corner of Yami's lip rose slightly.

"So what is it you wanted to ask?" he insisted.

At that moment, as if by some divine order and setting, the waiter arrived with their coffee and Yami's dessert. It was obvious that Seto was forcing a smile just as much as he was in order to appear nice and friendly to the young man, as he asked them about work and if they needed anything else. Reassured that there was nothing more they needed, the waiter retreated, leaving them to slowly erase their strained grins and the atmosphere to get heavier at their table.

The sun was on its way to setting. The very heavy, angry-looking clouds were hanging low, giving the illusion that the sun was halfway sunk beneath the horizon when there was still a good hour to go before that happened. There was a slight wind blowing, dragging golden fallen tree leaves in front of them in swirly patterns that looked like something out of an illustrated fairytale book. It was going to rain later, Yami came to that conclusion and he felt a little jump of happiness in his heart.

His attention was drawn away from the weather with Seto moving to take a sip out of his coffee. He watched him carefully, taking in every action, from the way he held the glass cup delicately by the handle with the thumb, forefinger and middle finger of the right hand, letting the ring finger and the little finger curl delicately around the base of it, while the tips of those long, slender digits of the opposite hand gently propped the cup on the opposite side to its handle. He raised it to his lips, subtly breathing in the rich aroma rising in faint fumes from the hot liquid, closing his eyes and tipping the cup lightly so he could take the first sip.

Yami smiled.

Seto opened his eyes and saw him and smiled back.

"What?" he asked, placing the cup back on the table and Yami noticed the way his little finger cushioned the cup lightly so it wouldn't make a loud noise when he set it down.

So aristocratic. And it was so… natural on him.

He shrugged and shook his head, reaching for the fork that came next to the brownie. With gentle pressure, he cut off a piece from the corner, loaded it on the fork and raised it to his mouth, humming softly with pleasure at the burst of rich chocolate flavor on his tongue.

"This is just great… want a bite?" he offered. Seto declined. Yami put down his fork and reach for his latte, emptying a sachet of brown sugar into it with a bit of regret, after looking at the gorgeous latte art done with the foam. He stirred it leisurely, knowing that both of them were masterfully dancing around an important topic. He didn't know what it was. He didn't like that he didn't know what it was. And to be very honest with himself, Seto made him want to take it on, no matter how uncomfortable it seemed to be. Taking a deep breath and hoping it wasn't going to be some marriage proposal so early on in their…'relationship', he decided to step up and face the issue, regardless of the outcome. He raised an eyebrow and repeated, "So what did you want to ask me?"

Seto took another sip of his drink. A few seconds passed and then he placed the cup back on the table and leaned forward slightly, staring at him. Yami knew that the brunet was not going to stall any more than that, and that since he had already insisted thrice, he was going to oblige him this time.

He was right. Without further introductions, Seto spoke.

"I overheard you and Yugi speaking last night," he said calmly.

He froze.

So many things happened last night… and so many things that called for a conversation. However, his and Yugi's talk was the last thing he expected the brunet to want to talk about. His mind raced a million thoughts a second and his eyes widened ever-so-slightly when he realized what Seto's question would probably revolve around.

Before he could fully comprehend what was happening and what he was about to talk about, before he could chicken out… Seto continued, "I wanted to ask you… in what way are you, in your opinion and using your words, a project similar to the lady we saw last night."

He was frozen in shock. The smile which had been on his lips was dead… cold. Warmth was leaving it quickly, leaving an empty expression, a mockery of what it had been behind. He knew it was a sad sight, bitterness replacing whatever made Seto smile earlier. He wasn't ready for this. And he knew now the wisdom behind the brunet's insistence he didn't get to know the question unless he was going to answer of his own volition. He was now faced with those exact three outcomes they discussed. Either he raged at the question to avoid it and withdraw into the cocoon that would surely, surely protect him from the pain that answering would bring. Or, he could breathe deeply through his nose, harden his already cold crimson eyes and take this as a challenge and answer, then retreating to lick his wounded pride at showing weakness after rejecting any other association with Seto.

Or, as he said… he could try within the next few seconds to recall what trust was… and take that leap of faith they both spoke of last time they were out together and placing that trust in Seto.

He sighed deeply, hanging his head slightly and closing his eyes.

In the few seconds he kept them closed and breathed, he went over all the times over the past few months Seto proved that he was trustworthy and that he genuinely had no ulterior motive to his advances except to try and get closer to him, to gain his trust. It all boiled down to this particular moment. All the effort he spent, all the patience he invested, the support he gave on numerous occasions where he could have just walked away and left the pile of baggage that Yami was lugging around… it all came down to this single question.

And Yami knew… that there was no challenge here. That Seto was right. This wasn't a test. He was asking out of authentic concern that no one could dare belittle or try to taint with any negative sentiment.

He wasn't answering out of the need to rise to some challenge. No, this was it. he sat here many months earlier and shared a piece of him that not many people were told about, out of choice. And his trust hadn't been broken. And only weeks later, the brunet had offered a helping hand during a time that, based on previous experiences, should have been lonely and scary. He did not have to, but sat with him as he recovered from an anxiety attack, telling him it was alright, and that he understood…

Time and time again, Seto could be trusted.

He decided that this time, he would do the same. Seto earned it.

Decision made, he reopened his eyes. The warm smile that had been on his features returned, but with a forlorn tinge to it that he could see reflected in the blue eyes before him. Already, regret was spreading on Seto's features. He was guilty he asked and insisted.

Yami shook his head. "I insisted," he reminded in a low voice which came out softer than usual, almost a whisper. He sighed once again and reached for his coffee, not even thinking of looking at his brownie, feeling full and nauseous all of a sudden. "And I want to answer… I really do. It's just…" he paused. He swallowed once, then raised the coffee to his lips to take a sip, if only to have something to do while trying to organize his thoughts. "I don't know what to say…"

"I didn't mean to eavesdrop," Seto apologetically explained. "I was coming to check on you both and you were standing just around the corner…I overheard you talking. I…I would like to know the story behind that conversation, Yami…"

He sighed. "I am not mad at you…" he said, trying to look at anything other than Seto's probing eyes. His gaze settled on the mostly untouched brownie and he found the pattern that the chocolate sauce on top made very mesmerizing.

Seto was adamant to pull him away from how fixed he was on the pattern before him, however, "You should… and trust me, if I was in your place I'd get mad; I should have walked away when I realized the conversation was private. But I really wanted to know and you just…you didn't say anything that could give me any more hints and I just…"

"I know you already made the conclusion that we all took bad relationship decisions one time or another," he started, cutting off the explanatory rant Seto was launching himself into, obviously embarrassed at admitting he was eavesdropping and trying to cover it up somehow or another. Yami was not in the mood to stall, nor did he want to draw this out more than necessary. He knew he had to say something and he knew that it was going to come out like pulling out a rather stubborn tooth, so it was the right thing to do. And successfully, Seto shut up, focusing on him. "I know you've told me a lot about your German lover… I know I haven't said much although you have opened up to me last time. And I know that you didn't like that very much…"

"It's not like that…" Seto started mumbling.

Yami shook his head, "It's alright… you trusted me. And I know for sure that you wouldn't share what you did with me unless you really trusted me. I…" he paused. He swallowed, not sure how to really say this, without sounding too corny, without belittling the sentiment behind it. he stared out at the rapidly darkening sky, sighing and closing his eyes for a few milliseconds in which he decided to just say it without trying to make things pretty because they simply weren't. "I trust you as well. I don't want you to think that I didn't speak of it because I don't. It's just not easy for me and I don't like dwelling on those times, because as you said, everyone takes stupid decisions sometimes, but I feel that it is by my own hands that I suffered and there is no point moping about it."

Seto's eyes softened and a light frown crinkled the area between his dark brown eyebrows. "I highly doubt that, Yami… you are so hard on yourself, it is a bit sad."

Yami laughed bitterly. "I was brought up surrounded by self-pitying colleagues throughout school, college and practical life later and I do not know who is at fault in this, but while seeing those brooding examples, my parents made sure to instill it in me that I should take responsibility for everything happening in my life. I am very dysfunctional, Seto… and I have warned you that I carry around a lot of baggage. I know where the problem is and I have no idea how to fix it. You are right. I take responsibility for things that aren't in my hands to control and yet I do not know how to do things any other way." He paused, blinking and taking a deep breath, "I do not want to take side detours away from your question. I do not want you to think I am running away. And I do not want to draw this out longer than necessary. I will explain what Yugi meant and you can ask me whatever you want and I will answer to the best of my ability."

"I am sorry for forcing this," Seto whispered softly.

Yami shook his head. "I said I wanted to answer you. I trust you. I am not a sentimental fool who will throw unnecessary words at you, Seto. Nor am I a liar. I want to tell you. Not because I want to complain; God knows I want to leave this buried and away from your ears forever. But because you asked me out of concern that only a handful of people have shown me in my life."

Silence predominated for almost a minute, in which Yami wrapped his hands around his cup and sipped languidly from it, allowing the luxurious mixture of the strong, bitter taste of aromatic coffee and the rich sensation of smooth, creamy foam give him courage to speak.

"Yugi is both right and wrong with the comparison he made yesterday; Anzu's injuries were similar to ones inflicted on me years ago, yet different all the same…" he started.

He noticed, from the corner of his which he had fixed resolutely on the logo of the café printed on the edge of the saucer on which his mug was brought, that Seto's hand which had been lying flat on the surface of the table clenched at his words.

He forced himself to continue.

"But hers were caused by a stalker, a stranger. Mine were given to me by my lover back then."

tbc…