Author's Rant: Thanks for reading everyone. Enjoy the next chapter!

Granted Chances

No one noticed when the young man began silently trudging down the sidewalk, his head held high and his hands shoved in his pockets. So, what did it matter? Yusei was used to the unknown-but scarily familiar-stranger-on-school-campus treatment, despite his name still being in the school records. He was used to not being noticed by a majority of the population too.

This was the first time in days he'd earned a chance to get some free time away from the ambitious needs of his street family. Seth was being mindboggling generous and paid Yusei a hefty sum to satisfy him for the next couple of months.

Yusei's fingers secretly leafed through the thick wad of cash buried in the pocket of his leather jacket and smirked. There was enough money to buy a house, a decent mode of transportation and plenty more to spend on whatever he wanted. Yusei knew the argument with Jaden was probably going to refresh in his mind once Yusei saw him, but after he showed him the money, all would be forgiven. Jaden said he understood Yusei's decision from the beginning anyway, so he could comprehend the choices he made when he made them, right?

Right.

With Yusei having been gone for so long from Heartfelt Academy, it wasn't a surprise that the new crop of students wouldn't recognize him, but the few lingering glances from those his age had some wondering if they were seeing a mirage or if it really was their old classmate. Yusei spotted a couple of familiar faces in the crowd, but paid them no mind. He had one specific face in mind and couldn't wait to see him.

Yusei, dressed in his senior school uniform, a plain white t-shirt, his ocean blue blazer, unzipped to the waist, some pressed black pants with old school Retro Jordans, strolled through the metal double doors and was caught in a mass of old friends he hadn't seen in weeks. He was noisily greeted from every direction by his old lacrosse team and among them was a guy he thought wouldn't give him the time of day.

His best friend Jack, the sophisticated spiky, blond haired Brit, wearing the same uniform as Yusei minus his blazer, swung his arm around Yusei's shoulders and ruffled his hair affectionately. "Well, if you ain't a sight for sore eyes, mate. We hadn't see ya since Moby Dick was a guppy! How you been?"

Yusei let himself receive the little rough house greeting from his old friends and chuckled. "I've been great. Can't complain, just handling business. You know how that is sometimes."

"Nah, not really," said another old friend from the sidelines, Crow Hogan, an auburn haired firecracker in junior year wearing the gold jacket and matching pants. "We wouldn't know a damn thing about workin' for the blue bloods. But I betcha' makin' enough loot to make that windbag Jack, here, jealous, huh? Huh?" Crow elbowed goodheartedly.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Yusei chortled for a moment, gazing up and down at the slowly emptying halls. "Have any of you guys seen Jaden? I wanna tell my babes I'm here to see 'em."

All of them went quiet. So quiet and lucidly nervous, that Yusei's smile fell and he arched his eyebrow at everyone in turn, waiting for an answer. "What? Everyone suddenly gone deaf?" he asked jokingly. "Come on, where is he?"

Jack was the first to recover, scratching behind his head. "Look, lad, you've been gone a long time. Things tend to change after a while . . ."

"Right and you're not makin' any sense. Does anyone else wanna give it a shot at explaining to me what's going on?"

Again there was a long suspicious silence that had the hairs on the back of Yusei's neck bristling. He morphed from that happy-at-ease-friend to that all American gangster who wasn't feeling up to any bullshit. "Either somebody start's talking or we gonna have some problems. What's going on?" A realization sunk in his stomach. "Did something happen to him? Is he all right? He didn't get hurt did he?" Yusei would kick his own ass for believing Jaden would be safe here without him. Fuck, if any of those red bloods laid a hand on what's his—

"Jaden's fine," mumbled Crow, shuffling his feet on the ground. "Actually, he's more than fine. He's really fine."

Yusei frowned. "You aren't tryin' to hit on my dude are ya?"

Crow held up his hands fast, shaking his head. "No, no, no, hell no, no way! Why would I want too? We all know how crazy jealous you are. Fuck that, he's not worth that kind of trouble."

"Then someone needs to start beatin' their damn gums!"

"Ease up on us, lad," said Jack. "We're tryin' to save ya from embarrassment."

"What kind of embarrassment?"

Fate proved to be a cruel son of a bitch sometimes. Several doors down, just as the corridors cleared of every single student save for Yusei and his friends, one of the red doors leading to the upstairs stairwell opened. Yusei immediately knew the blue haired sophomore emerging first. Jesse Anderson, one of the new drama student favorites from what Jaden kept bragging about. Seeing him shouldn't have been a big deal.

It was who he held his hand out for and tugged forward that had Yusei seething on the inside like a bull. Jaden appeared, eyes blazing like honeysuckles in the afternoon sun, smiling up at Jesse like he held the secrets to life. That wasn't all. Jesse held that gaze, reflecting all kinds of raw emotion and open care. It had Yusei's chest aching and his blood boiling.

A jolt of fury surged to the soles of Yusei's feet and propelled him in a slow, stalking approach down the hall. He ignored the protests of his friends to calm down. Fuck them. Yusei's entire world was muted.

His feet picked up speed when Jesse started caressing the side of Jaden's jaw—the same fucking way Yusei did before they made love—and how Jaden leaned into the touch, pressing his lips against the smooth palm—the same fucking way he did for Yusei. The dark haired gang member was so pissed he couldn't see passed the tunnel of hatred.

Without warning, Jesse was leaning forward, pressing a kiss on Jaden's forehead . . . on his eyes . . . on his cheek . . . and then on his lips . . . Yusei broke into a full run down the hall, footsteps echoing his raging approach and signaling to the unsuspecting couple, that danger was coming.

Jaden spotted him first before Jesse did.

Jaden knew it was coming, he saw the way Yusei's fingers clenched by his side; he saw how dilated his eyes were. What Yusei wasn't expecting, however, was for Jaden to meet him halfway and block his charge, spreading his arms with a look of pure determination on his face.

Yusei stopped short of running Jaden over and tried to circle by him. Jaden blocked his way.

"Yusei—Yusei stop!" Jaden begged, pushing at Yusei's shoulders. "What are you doing here—Yusei would you stop?"

"Move," Yusei hissed after his third attempt was foiled. "Get outta my damn way!"

Jaden countered with his slighter weight, failing to completely cease Yusei's assault. The older teen had strength, stamina, and a will like concrete, but Jaden refused to back down. It didn't help either when Jesse tried to shove Jaden to the side and face Yusei head on.

"Oh? So you wanna step up to this, huh?" barked Yusei. "Fuckin' move Jaden!"

"You don't scare me," Jesse taunted, cockily. "I'll wipe the floor with you from A to C hall. Yeah, Jaden move. Let 'em see what's it like to face a real beat down!"

Jaden swirled his head back. "Don't talk to him like that, Jesse!" Jaden snapped.

Jesse looked offended. "Are you serious right now? Why get mad at me? He's the one who came here about to attack!"

"That's because you touchin' what's mine!" Yusei ceased his struggles to crush Jaden to his chest, and planted an open mouth kiss on his cheek. "See that? That's real love. You ain't got nothin' on me, kid. I've claimed him, he's mine! So whatever lil' puppy love shit you got goin' can stop right here." Yusei moved in to prove his point with another kiss.

Jaden wasn't having any of that and started to squirm and thrash until Yusei loosened his grip confused. The brunet stepped back, shaking his head, eyes bowed to the ground. Worse of all, he kept retreating until his back bumped into Jesse's chest.

Yusei's chest constricted. "Jaden, babes, look I know you're pissed but we can fix everything, make our relationship right. See, check this out." Yusei reached inside his pocket and pulled a rubber banded stack of green in his hand. "We got enough money here to last us to old age. We can go places; go buy some clothes, a new car, whatever you want—"

"No."

Yusei paused. "What?"

Jaden shook his head slowly. "I said, no. No Yusei, just—just go away."

"G-go away? What," Yusei wasn't sure he was hearing right. He gave his head a little shake to clear off the confusion. "Babe, you're just mad. Let's go talk somewhere, somewhere quiet so we can make this right. You don't have to worry about there being a problem between us anymore. I got some off time for a few weeks—"

"I don't care, Yusei. I don't," Jaden swallowed mournfully, quaking from head to toe, "I don't care anymore. I don't care what you do, but I'm not going to go through it. I just, why don't you just go away? I don't even know why you bothered to come here."

"Why I bothered to—Jaden, ain't that much obvious?" Yusei chuckled humorlessly. "I love you, babes. I came to see you."

"Because it was convenient for you. The next time, you're probably gonna go dash off somewhere to kill or steal or get hurt. I can't deal with having that on my conscience anymore!" Jaden was shaking like a leaf caught in a storm. He folded his arms across his chest and sunk harder into Jesse's chest. "I've moved on ok. I wanna be with someone who won't hurt me so much, who can be around when I need him, who can hold me and you can't do that. I'm tired of it Yusei. I'm done."

"Jaden, J, are you listening to yourself? Babes, let's talk about this—"

"No, I'm done talking. I've tried talking to you about this week, but you've never had enough time. It's always been about you."

"About me?" Yusei wasn't hearing this. There was no way. "So, whatcha' tryin' to say? That it's over between us? You gonna choose some no name chump over me? You're picking a few years over a few days? Is that it?"

Jaden flinched, but stood strong. "He's given me more in those few days then you ever did in the past few months. It's-it's over Yusei."

Yusei took a step forward. "Jaden—"

"Just go away! Go, just go! I don't care what you do!" Jaden shrugged away from Jesse's warmth and started shoving and pushing Yusei in the direction of the exit doors. "Go find someone else to cry over you every fucking night and pray every damn morning that you're alive to see the sun. That isn't gonna be me anymore Yusei! I deserve better than that!"

The hurt, torment, the sorrow and woe bursting from Jaden's words also poured from the corner of his eyes as he stared like a desperate child up at Yusei's wounded expression. Jaden loved him, God, all he wanted to do was wrap his arms around this man and hold him close so their hearts could beat in harmony. However, it wasn't worth the suffering, the misery and fear of losing him anymore. Jaden couldn't live like that, wondering, hoping and wishing for strength to carry him through another day without Yusei.

"I love you," Yusei whispered in a coursed tone. "Don't do this to us."

"If you did, you wouldn't have left me that night. Yusei. . . I can't do this. I'm tired. So, please, go," Jaden hiccupped, "I can't, just leave me alone."

Jesse chose then to wrap his arms around Jaden's neck and tugged him back. He sealed the heart wrenching moment when he leaned forward and placed a kiss under Jaden's ear. Jaden closed his eyes and turned his face to the side, dismissing this—this thing between him and Yusei forever. When he opened his eyes again, he saw Yusei's back growing smaller and smaller as he walked away down the hall.

The instincts to run after him were activating in Jaden's mind. He wanted to go and tell him to come back, to bring Yusei back and tell him it was all a lie, a cruel joke to get him to see how much Jaden truly cared about them being together. But he had his pride. It was battered and stepped on too much for him to allow himself to be shown as a whimpering fool.

Yusei reached the double doors.

Jaden held his breath.

By the slowest degrees, Yusei turned around, raven blue eyes full of a million and one emotions, rage, regret, sadness, sorrow, bitterness, but above all else, a soft warmth that still burned like a candle. Jaden gulped, the flare of eternal sensations stirred by Yusei burning in his chest. Yusei smiled small and disappeared out the doors. The final click was just as loud as the first time Yusei had left Jaden to join the Blue Eye Aces. This one though, it just seemed to ring with a finality that could match no other.

Jaden twisted around and buried his face in Jesse's neck, trembling. Their friends disbursed, disgruntled from the confrontation. Jaden held on to Jesse's jacket, taking in big gulps of breath until he was ready to go to class. He wondered how long it would truly take him to recover from this day.

Insanity Billiard

Joey was having somewhat of a great time. Couldn't say the same for his company though.

Tristan hadn't managed a handful of words to keep up with Joey's conversation. He was in and out, eyes always straying somewhere else and grunting answers to anything. It was raking Joey's nerves to the point of ripping out his hair.

The brunet's attitude has been stinking up the air with bad vibes, souring the whole evening. It was Saturday night for Christ's sake; mind you that's because Tristan had the nerve to cancel their Friday appointment and Joey and to practically drag his ass out of his house to come out tonight.

Joey had originally planned to hit the Boom for their "date", but being the considerate man he was, he'd decided to accommodate to Tristan's mad-at-the-world demeanor and pick a quieter, more secluded part of town. Despite it being a peaceful weekend, his business was low on customers at least until ten o'clock. It was eight and so far, Joey's mental vision of a pleasant date with great food and a handsome guy wasn't exactly as appealing as it'd been an hour ago.

Joey pouted. He'd picked out one of his less-then-thuggish outfits for this. You know how much effort that took, having to navigate through that jungle of a closet? He was wearing a red, black and yellow striped Nautica polo shirt, loose-fitted white Levi jeans, and black Reeboks. Tristan hadn't even bothered to change into anything attractive. His leather black jacket was slung over the back of one of the chairs at one of the vacant tables. That left him in his white wife beater and grey jeans.

Joey requested the bottom floor of Insanity to remain vacant until he left. What a waste. With the way the evening was going, there wasn't going to be any hanky-pank tonight.

"Damn." Tristan circled the table a third time, switching his brown eyes from ball to ball, indecisive on which one to strike.

"Ya know," Joey frowned prospectively when Tristan bent over the pool table, setting up for his next shot, "you could act like you wanna be here with me." His chin was resting on the blunt end of his pool stick balanced between his black leather fingerless gloves.

"What? Shit," Tristan leaned away after missing his shot. His eyes trailed after the purple-striped twelve-ball, ricocheting off the right corner pocket and next to the rest of the balls. His mind had been lost way in left field. "My bad man, I didn't hear you."

"See? That's what I'm talking about," Joey sucked his teeth, slipping off the table stool and slinked over to Tristan's side. "What's eatin' at you anyway?" He asked when he bent over the side of the table and positioned his pool stick. He made a couple practice strokes before taking the hit, making two balls sail into a corner pocket.

"Nothin', I'm just frustrated."

"Frustrated about what?" Joey questioned casually, after sinking another ball. "School work finally getting' to ya?"

"Nah, I got that under control."

"Baseball?"

"Nah. . ."

"Your friends?"

"No. . . Not really."

"Ah, now we're getting somewhere."

Before Tristan could rebuttal that reply, he spied the only balls left on the table being a couple of his own and the black eight ball.

Joey chuckled cheekily. "Talk to me, kid. What's goin' on between you and Muto?"

Tristan twisted his lips to the side, rolling his eyes. "He's bein' a jerk that's what," he grumbled and turned around to face the other wall as he spoke, remembering the argument between him and Yugi a while back.

"Well, how's he bein' a jerk?"

Tristan opened and closed his mouth several times before beckoning Joey off to one of the empty tables. He put away his pool stick and waited until Joey got situated on the other side before he started talking.

Tristan dragged his hands over his face, looking twice his age and the worry lines and faint dark circles finally looked clearer. "Damn, I really need to get this off my chest," he murmured. "It's complicated. We had a fight because he made a promise that he wouldn't hang around a couple of people who aren't any good for 'em. They nearly got him killed twice, but he still talks to them like they're not trouble. I got pissed and confronted him about it, but he wasn't hearing any of it. I got so pissed I shoved him against the lockers."

Tristan took a deep breath, peeked up in case he was boring Joey to tears and found the blond to be intensely focused on what he was saying, not interrupting or anything. It came as a pleasant surprise and one that sent a bizarre feeling in the brunet's stomach.

"I wanted to hit him so bad, he can be so stupid sometimes. It's like he doesn't care what happens to him; as if what everyone else thinks is bullshit and only what he wants should matter. He doesn't take into consideration that if anything happens to him, the rest of us would lose our minds. I know I would. . ." the last part was a whispered confession he held dear in his heart for his best friend.

Joey rocked Tristan out of his funk by giving his shoulder a rough shake. "Kid, you can't protect him all the time. If you don't let him screw up, how is he gonna learn not to do it again?"

"Because he doesn't learn, besides, I gotta look for 'em. I've always been there for Yugi. Ever since we were little kids, I protected him from kids bigger than us and I guess." He shrugged. "Maybe that protective streak just stayed with me."

Joey chuckled humorlessly. "I know that feeling."

Tristan looked up surprised. "You do?"

"No doubt, only mines is a lil' more personal." Joey leaned away in the high stool chair, drumming his fingers on the tabletop, as his eyes seemed to become distant and blurred. Joey balled his fists together and pressed them against his mouth. "I'm no stranger to being a lil' protective," he roughly whispered. "I regret that shit every day."

Tristan started to fidget in his seat.

Joey caught the motion and waved it off. "Don't worry; I won't give ya a sob story. That's my problem anyway."

"No, no, it's not that," Tristan insisted. "Sorry, I guess I just—hell I don't know. I do wanna hear it. It'd be nice to know someone else has been in the same boat as me."

Joey closed his eyes against the horrific images of a past he'd never bury, the memory drawing to the surface as if it'd happened yesterday. It was a memory he kept stored in the farthest regions of his mind as punishment to himself. He could still hear the shrieking pleads in his ear and the loud bang of gunfire, as the cries grew louder.

It made his chest hurt, his hands fisting into balls as nausea rolled through his stomach. He could almost feel that same terrorizing anger flood his veins as he could do nothing, but helplessly close his eyes and watch his little sister crumble to the floor covering her eyes. His fingertips tingled as a reminder of how he had been helpless to stop that moment from happening, and he quickly shoved his hands into his pockets to hide the tremors.

"You don't have to talk about if it's rough on ya," Tristan's voice came as a warm compress to Joey's throbbing mind.

The blond senior member snorted arrogantly. "I ain't got a problem talkin' about my business." He took a deep breath and started to say everything. "I have a little sister, there's no telling where she is now, but she was my everything. I loved that girl like you couldn't imagine. Tsk, I still do."

Tristan smiled.

"I was real protective of her, ya know? I always held her hand when we walked across the street, when we left the house, shit she couldn't take a piss without me being there. I made sure she ate, helped with her homework, bathed her and read her bedtimes stories. She didn't mind though. Serenity loved having me around."

"Her name's Serenity? That's pretty."

"Yeah, my ma and me picked it out before she was even born. I was always knew when she was born, I'd be the rock she could lean on and be the kind of person she could always look up." Joey sighed. "She didn't have much choice. My ma left without warning one day and me and Serenity were left to fend for ourselves."

Tristan frowned. "What about your father?"

Joey snorted again. "That asshole? Forget 'bout it, he was the lowest. That fat, drug-slingin'-fuck didn't know he had kids half the time, because he was too doped up or drunk. It was cool though. I took care of my sis just fine. We didn't need anyone else. It was me and her against the world. . ."

The blonde-haired thug grew silent. His demeanor changed, sunken and further away. Tristan knew this was going to be the hardest part of the story from how white Joey's knuckles became.

"He remembered he had kids one day. He remembered this enough to start smackin' us, blamin' me and Serenity for Ma leavin'. I could take his hits, it never bothered me. It was when I found out he started hittin' my sister that pissed me off. That was why I joined the Red Eyes in the beginning, to get protection for her."

"I came home one day to find her in the corner cryin'. There was blood comin' from her eyes." He clenched his fingers harder. "That—that son of a bitch had cut her across the face with a razor. My nine-year-old was bleeding on the floor, crying and unable to see. Do you have any idea how that made me feel? I was gone all of ten minutes and he'd managed to do the ultimate sin."

Tristan reached out, but caught himself before he took Joey's hand in his. That wasn't like him at all. He continued to listen instead.

"By then, I'd already finished my initiation with the Red Eyes. Yami came as soon as I called and asked me what I wanted to do and that was after he beat the shit outta my old man." Joey snickered at the memory of his father cowering from the Red Eyes leader when he was in his youthful pride and as wild as a jackal back then. "I told him to do whatever the fuck he wanted. Yami filled that fool with holes without a second thought. He did it so easily, and you know what? I didn't bat a damn tear for that ass. Yami saved me, me and my sister. I owe him a lot."

"But," Tristan shook his head, "he's not all good. He may seem that way to you because you were nothin' but a kid. He shot Yugi. My best friend could've died."

"Yeah, but he didn't. You don't get it. Yami doesn't miss. If your friend is still walking around, that means something. Yami could split a fly between the eyes."

Tristan couldn't get on board with how Joey's eyes seemed to shine at the mention of his boss. Was Yami really that nice, just to come and save a couple of kids with no blood relation to him? Tristan couldn't believe it. He just couldn't.

"Whatever happened to your sister?"

"Hn," Joey grunted, turning away to look at the walls of Godfather pictures and elevated stain glass chandeliers, "Yami paid for her operation, but he told me if I was gonna be his right hand man, I had to get rid of any loose baggage. . . I couldn't afford any distractions, so he managed to find a relative of ours and sent Serenity there. She wasn't happy. I wasn't either, but I knew it was best. She didn't need a big brother like me. I'd be shamed if she saw what I'd become."

"You're not that bad."

"That's cause you took a chance to get to know me. Just like Muto got a chance to get to know my boss. I know you're uncomfortable with Yugi being with Yami, but give them some space. Trust me; he couldn't be in better hands. Yami's gonna take good care of him."

"I guess. . ." Tristan grimly licked his lips and sighed. "You red bloods are a pain."

"It comes with the territory. We cause trouble, make trouble, we are trouble, but we have fun doin' it." Joey winked and slipped off the chair stool. "You done mopin' now? 'Cause you promised me a good game and I haven't gotten one yet."

Joey slowly walked around the front of the pool table, coming to a stop on the other side, and simply leaned back against the opposite with his arms crossed over his chest. His cocky smirk made Tristan feel like rocks were doing somersaults in his belly. He didn't know what it was about this guy that had him feeling so . . . so weird . . . but he liked it. Being around Joey wasn't that bad.

He listened, he was funny, and beyond that rough exterior, Tristan knew there was a heart hidden in there somewhere. He wouldn't mind spending time with him more often.

Tristan hopped off the chair and ambled over, pushing his sleeves up to his shoulders. "Saddle up then, I'll give ya a game."

They played the rest of the night together with a new level of understanding between each other. They spent quiet moments, on occasion sneaking sly glances at each other. Tristan caught Joey staring at him a lot. He felt Joey close behind him, ogling his backside, practically eye humping him. Tristan would straightened and cracked a small smile, savoring the sensation of Joey ogling him. That little secret he'd keep deep, deep, deep on the inside.

The rest of the night was like that, them playing pool, eating for free from the bar and simply talking about a little of everything. The night of games ended when Joey and Tristan left Insanity and aimlessly drove around the city. It was a fun time, simply being around each other and nothing but a carefree atmosphere to set their minds at ease.

Tristan found himself never wanting the night to end. He hadn't had this much fun with anyone besides Yugi. However, even with him, Tristan never crossed a certain line. With Joey, it was a little easier. . .

"I had fun," Tristan said when they pulled up to his small suburban home on the outskirts of South Domino.

Joey put his car in park and made a show of stretching his limbs out. "Yeah, it was cool hangin' withcha'. We oughta do it again sometime."

"Yeah."

Here cued the awkward silence and the constant worry of what was supposed to happen next. Joey stared out the windshield, darting around at the neatly trimmed neighborhood and shrubbery.

"Guess I'll see you around?" said Tristan.

"Yeah."

Silence, silence. Joey scratched behind his head, feeling a little stuck in the middle of a hard place and something tougher. "Look, I kind of like—"

"I gotta head in before my mom gets worried." Tristan was out the car before Joey got a chance to finish his sentence. The brunet stopped half way of closing the passenger door and grimly shook his head. He shut it and bent down to peer inside at the steely clench of Joey's jaw. "If . . . look, I don't know how to handle any of that, um, stuff . . . it's weird to me. I mean, I know Yugi is and you are . . . but," Damn he was so confused. "I don't know what I'm sayin'."

"Nah, it's cool, I get ya." Joey crunk up the car and pulled it out of park, about to speed off.

Tristan smacked the side of the car, annoyed. "Gimme a break! I just realized that I may like you a little more than I thought and—and this kind of shit isn't easy to adjust to."

Joey discreetly covered a grin behind his fist as he cleared his throat. "So what are you gettin' at? Hurry and say what you gotta say. I got places to be and things to do!"

Tristan grip the window, unsure how to approach this properly. "Can we just keep doin' what we're doin' now? Just until I can figure out what it is I'm feelin' for you?"

Joey's smirk spoke volumes of how pleased he was. "No doubt, I'll see ya soon, T."

T? Hm. "You too."

The two parted ways. Joey waited until Tristan was safely inside his home before taking off down the road. He hadn't felt this funny throb in his chest in a long, long ass time. The first time had been the first time he'd seen Serenity's first smile. This time, it was at the prospect of seeing Tristan again. He couldn't wait.

Yugi knew this was crazy, but it was a risk he was willing to take. He had to see Yami again.

Something about the way Yami left just didn't sit right with him. Atem had told Yugi repeatedly that Yami would be fine, but, well, Yugi just wanted to be sure he wasn't making a mistake. He couldn't picture that expression on someone's face as being fine. Yami's face went through a series of revelations, like he'd become distant.

His mind had went somewhere else when Yugi had touched him. The Red Eyes Spades leader had even been trembling when Kisara hugged him. Imagine that big tyrant afraid of affection. It wasn't fair for Yami to feel that way, to live as if he didn't deserve to be held, comforted and caressed by someone who cared.

It had Yugi wondering if Heba ever touched Yami that way. Would Yami allow Heba to hold him, caress him, and make him feel safe and secure? Before the whole rivalry between Yami and Atem, was Atem able to lure Yami into a state of ease and relief? Could he bring Yami to a moment in his life where he didn't have to question the motives behind a simple touch?

Yugi couldn't stand not being able to know. Yami had been through so much in his life. Hell, it was no surprise he shot Yugi that night. To entrust a little of yourself to someone only to discover them messing around with your worst enemy? Betrayal was all Yami knew.

Yugi didn't want him to feel that way; not when there was so much more to share.

There were people Yami could trust, people who were willing to make a change with him and move on. Yugi was one of those people and he was determined to reach out and pull Yami away from that unfiltered darkness. Of course, Yugi couldn't see this happening overnight. It would take time, time Yugi vowed to use a lot of if it meant getting Yami to open up and see that not everyone was out to hurt him.

. . . Far from it really.

Yugi grunted as he ducked behind an old abandoned Cadillac Deville stationed deep in the Grove by a vacant grass lot. It was in the middle of Monday night, and the place was swamped with red bloods, displaying their royal colors like Confederate Flags. Mercury and gold illuminated street posts lit up portions of the neighborhood where collections of runners and suppliers loitered outside the sling houses.

It was unusually crowded for this time of night. By now, at least a third of these guys would be at the Boom or frequenting one of the streets to sell their merchandise downtown. It didn't make sense. Yugi could've sworn on his way here that he'd spotted a handful of red bloods hanging out on the streets. The scent of Purple Haze flooded the Grove in a faint mist. Yugi pulled his red t-shirt over his nose and coughed. It was putrid, like foul sewage and old cabbages. How in the world could they smoke this trash?

Clearing his throat, Yugi emerged from behind the car and made his way down the winding sidewalk, aiming straight for the Main House. Yugi bypassed clusters of Red Eyes members, some of them delivering curious glances his way and suspicious recognition gleaming in their eyes.

Yugi continued walking and picked up the pace when he heard several footsteps matching his own.

The teen dared a quick look over his shoulder. Sure enough, he counted four tall people trailing him and the group growing with a new person every few seconds. Now, Yugi could make a run for it, but then he'd attract an even bigger crowd of assailants and that was the kind of pressure he didn't need. By the time he made it near the last house before reaching the main one, Yugi spotted the front balcony occupied with four individuals.

One of them he definitely recognized because of Ryou. He was Seto "Slim" Kaiba. The other two Yugi had only seen around the city from time to time; Akefia "Thief" King and Valon "Aussie" were with him along with another red blood. All of them were wearing their own kind of red. Akefia was wearing baggy red jeans and black Reeboks. Valon was wearing a red tank with grey acid wash jeans and white tennis shoes and Seto was in a dark crimson sleeveless pullover and black Levi jeans with black low top Converse.

Akefia had half a smoked blunt dangling off the corner of his mouth as he eyeballed Yugi with interest.

"Can we help you?" Valon was the first to ask after dismissing the nosey crowd with a flick of his wrist.

Yugi straightened his back. "I'm here to see Yami. Is he here?"

The trio shared a look. Seto took a pull from his smoke and released the mist in a single exhale. "He might be. What's it to you? Who are you to address the O.G. by his first name?"

"A friend."

"I doubt that."

"Hold up," Akefia waved his hand to the other two. "Ain't you that kid from Domino High? You're my little brother's friend."

"Yeah Ryou King, right?"

Akefia grinned. "That's him. Ease up Slim; I got 'em."

"Huh?" Valon pouted and folded his arms. "What makes him so special?"

"O's got special orders to leave this one alone. Why you think we ain't collecting protection from that game shop anymore?"

Yugi blinked. "You aren't?"

"Nope, you and your old man are off radar. He's done a lot of things since chillin' with you. And truth be told, he ain't as bitchy when you're around. Hell, we might get a couple of weeks off if you talk to him." Akefia thrust his thumb over his shoulder. "Go on in, but you better watch yourself. He's been in a funk since this afternoon."

"Thanks." Yugi bowed respectfully to each man in turn before walking up the cracked brick stairs and going to the door.

The house was two stories tall, constructed from brick and wood, painted yellow on top and red on the bottom. The door hung wide open. There were one or two lights on in the whole house. It was almost completely dark, but the tint of smoke was unmistakable. There was a hall leading straight down and a stairwell to the left. Before reaching that, there was a step-down den room to the right filled with red bloods and women and drugs and alcohol.

The interior was classy, something straight from the Southern Living magazines.

Everywhere there were shades of cream and crimson. The carpet was plush cream with a single stain or mark on the surface. There were two three-seat couches pushed against the red walls, all of them made of red leather, there was a love seat tucked in the corner and three short metal pole lamps with white shades, adding a certain 'je ne sais quoi' to the color theme. Two round wooden low tables were in the center of the room, all littered with weed, wrappings and Ziplocs. Five men and three women were spread out in the den, women either smoking or straddling the laps of some of the men too high to remember who they were.

Yugi wrinkled his nose at the scene and continued toward the stairs. He didn't know why he chose this way to go. It was instincts maybe telling him that Yami would be up there. Yugi's footsteps creaked noisily as he took them two at a time and paused at the top.

The hall went down two ways, splitting to a set of three rooms and another cut off from the rest from behind. It was much quieter up here and colder; very cold. Yugi rubbed up and down his arms as goosebumps pebbled on his flesh.

"Yami," he called softly and listened.

There wasn't an answer. Yugi swallowed back the uneasy feeling in his stomach and carefully crept down the first hall. He gently knocked on the first, then the second and then the third, each of them empty. Yugi pulled away from the third bedroom and journeyed on to the second hall with the lone door.

Yugi stopped outside, hand hovering over the bronze doorknob. He stared up at the wooden door and the damage it's sustained; chipping paint, cracked surface and rust on its hinges. Yugi licked his lips. Why was he hesitating? He couldn't understand this overwhelming feeling of dread erupting in his chest.

It was so strange. Yugi thinned his lips and placed his hand on the doorknob. He softly rapped his knuckles on the door and opened it. At first, he didn't see anything. The room was just as dark as the rest of the house. Had it not been for the stream of moonlight forcing its way through the thick curtains, Yugi would've overlooked the shadowy silhouette laying on the king sized bed.

"Yami?" Yugi gulped and went in the rest of the way, closing the door. "Yami, it's me."

The Red Eyes leader didn't budge. Yugi moved in closer, squinting in what little light he had. He took baby steps, unable to determine if the man was sleeping or if he were just lost in his own world. Yugi clutched at his upper arms and came to a halt where he could see Yami's head laid on the pillow.

"Yami," Yugi whispered. "I'm here. I came to see you."

The body didn't move.

Yugi carefully sunk on the edge of the bed, simply staring, studying and taking in Yami's long, lean outline. His long arm was draped across his eyes. Yugi scooted closer a little more. Yami didn't smell like the rest of them. It was woodsy and minty with a musky under layer like had Yugi subconsciously drawing near the smell. Was this the closest he'd ever gotten to Yami without the man being on guard? There was no mistaking the sharp lines and curves on his face. Just look at him; a handsome rogue from head to toe. Yami was a good-looking man, very, very good looking. Just looking at him was like watching a dream unfold before your eyes.

He had no shirt on. Yami was bare from the waist up, tattoos of his gang life ripping across hills and valleys of aged, cut muscles. There were scars too, lots of them, speckled all over his upper torso. All of them had a story; knife gashes, long cuts, and dents on his sides from possible gunshots, discoloring his sand-colored skin. There was a particular scar in the dead center, like a crater, wrinkled and hideous.

Yugi inhaled sharply at the pain Yami must've suffered after receiving it. Yugi wondered . . . was this one of those Yami faced as a helpless little boy? The harsh wound seemed to make itself stand out from the rest as if to say, I will always dominate this man's memories and remind him of the pain I caused that faithful day. Yugi reached out his hand and one by one, let his fingers dipped into the round blemish.

It was dry to the touch and rough.

"Does it disgust you?"

Yugi jerked his hand back as if he were burned. Yami's sudden words loudly broke the silence, though he barely spoke above a whisper.

"I'm sorry," Yugi said after collecting his wits, clutching his hand in his lap. "I thought you were sleeping."

A soft chuckle, "So that gives you the right to molest me?"

Yugi was grateful for the dark. It hid his blush and the hidden heat gleaming in his violet gaze.

Yami's thigh shifted. Yugi felt it pressing into his hip, but didn't move. "What are you doing here?" he questioned.

"I came to see you."

"I gathered that much." Yami lowered his arm to level an authoritative eye on Yugi's profile. "Why did you come to see me?"

Yugi gulped. Now that he was actually here, it seemed somewhat silly to have come all of this. His reason seemed pitiful. "I was worried about you."

"Worried about me, were you?" an amused snort. "You're a strange ass kid. Here, you barely know me from a sack of rocks, I even shot you, and here you still got enough room in your heart to care what's goin' on with me."

Yugi's blush flared even more. "You're not a bad person." Violet eyes peered shyly at the wooden floors. "I know everyone portrays you as this tough, cold hearted person, but I know better. I got a chance to know a little about you. You're not as cruel as everyone says." Yugi snuck a quick look up.

Yami was look directly at him with an intense frown.

Yugi turned away quickly. "Atem doesn't seem to think so either. He's willing to let bygones be bygones. I-I wouldn't mind seeing that happen for you. . . you deserve to have someone show you what it's like to have a friend or. . . something . . . you don't have in fear anymore."

Yami's growl was airy and sharp. "I'm not afraid of anything."

"Yes you are, you don't have to lie to me."

"How are you gonna tell me—"

"That's something else I want for you too; to be able to confide in someone without worrying about pay back." Yugi boldly lifted his head and met Yami's gaze in the dark, noting inside how the moon seemed to create this haunting halo over the older man's figure. "You don't have to be afraid."

"Yugi, don't say that again," Yami sternly ordered.

Yugi pulled his lips between his teeth. Was he breaking through? Could that be why he didn't want Yugi to continue? He couldn't stop yet. It was a challenge and like so many in the past, Yugi wouldn't back down from it.

"I'm not afraid of a damn thing."

"I want to be there, let me care for you. Like Atem does. I-I know it sounds strange and sudden, but I can be there. I can give you support and— I can help you when you feel down. I just—I just want to be someone you can depend on."

Yugi's confession stunned himself as well as Yami. That . . . that hadn't exactly come out how it was planned in his brain.

Yami stared, his heart and mind and stomach doing solid flip-flops. He was speechless. Yugi wanted to care for him. But why? He'd never given off the vibe that he wanted to care for him, did you? No, no of course not. Yami knew he wasn't a charity case. He was coldhearted killer, always have been, always will be. What made this brat think he could do what others have failed to do before him? As Yami watched Yugi waiting and looking at him, he grounded his teeth together. He couldn't be telling the truth. It was a lie. He wanted something.

"Liar," Yami growled through clenched teeth. "What do you really want?"

Yugi frowned, clearly confused at the change of attitude. "Huh?"

Yami gulped down the bile surfacing in his throat. His breathing grew unsteady, becoming harsher. He lashed out fast before Yugi had a chance to react. Yami's fingers coiled around Yugi's wrist and yanked him hard.

"You're lying to me!"

"Yami? Yami, what's wrong?"

"No, I won't let you!"

Yugi was horrified when the next thing he knew, he was flat on the bed and Yami had his wrists locked over his head, his deadly grip refusing any circulation to his hands. A foreign feeling flooded Yugi's veins, mixed with strange, arousing sensations and gut wrenching fear. Staring up at Yami, the moonlight haloing around him, like the glare of a demon's power, Yugi didn't know what to think. He just knew that he had to get free.

"No!" Yami snarled inches from Yugi's face. "You won't hurt me, I won't let you!"

"I don't want to hurt you, Yami!" Yugi pulled desperately at his wrists. "But you're hurting me, let go!"

"What do you want?"

"I don't want anything from you except a chance!"

"Fuckin' liar! You do want something, they always do! All of you want something I can't give!"

Yami left one hand handcuffed around Yugi's wrists, used the other to take a fistful of his hair, and pressed his skull into the mattress.

"Yami, I don't want to hurt you, I swear!" Yugi struggled fruitlessly under the pressuring weight on his hips. "Get off of me!"

Yami pulled back and met Yugi's straining gaze, subtle jolts of heat pooling in his groin. This close, Yami could feel and taste the scent of mint and fruit juice on Yugi's breath. Their lips were millimeters apart. And those eyes, those damningly expressive, bright violet eyes were tormenting Yami's mind with waves of violent feelings. Yugi didn't look remotely like he was pitying Yami—it was what he would've hated more than anything. It seemed more like he was waiting, nervously waiting for an outstretched hand.

"I want to be there, Yami," Yugi murmured, carefully squirming his hands free. He lifted his hand out, slow so that Yami could see he meant no harm, ran his calloused fingers under Yami's jawline, and cupped his cheek. "Can I be there?"

Yami stilled stiff as a statue as Yugi's fingers caressed the skin on Yami's face. Why couldn't he breathe? Why was everything slipping out of his grasp, out of his control? Yugi knew about Yami's past, so he wasn't fool. But didn't he know what those words meant, the full significance behind them?

Yami closed his eyes and tightened his jaw helplessly. He turned his face into the searching palm and let his lips touch and taste the salty texture. Yugi felt his chest constricting, his belly going hot and going cold at the same time. Yugi's touch, it burned, charring Yami's skin. He lifted his hand and crushed the bones in Yugi's hand, leeching the warmth they expelled.

Yami rubbed his cheek into the touch. He sniffed it, inhaled and . . . felt himself falling over the edge.

Would he fall over it? Was that fall worth it?

"Can I be there?" Yugi whispered again.

Yami's eyes darkened. There wasn't a shred of color left. His head dipped lower. There was no space left. Yami didn't know what he was doing. He wasn't aware of the way his entire body was trembling. He was inwardly panicking, but still he continued leaning down, eyes half-mast.

Yugi swallowed. Yami stopped with his mouth barely brushing Yugi's.

"You make me regret this, I'll fucking kill you."

Yugi felt the words against his mouth, was vaguely registering everything said before Yami fully pressed his mouth against his. The tremors seemed to travel into Yugi's body because now, he was the one quivering like he was naked in the cold. It was beyond comprehension. . . Yugi couldn't fully grasp what was going on until he felt Yami maneuver his head to the side and worked his mouth in a way that made Yugi melt into the mattress.

The teen's eyes fluttered close and he slowly lifted his arms to cozily pull Yami against him.

They were both falling.

They were both trembling.

Yugi's mind was going a thousand miles per hour, but there was one singular thought in his mind that rung like church bells.

Yami was kissing him . . . Yami was kissing him. . . Yami . . . was . . . kissing him. . .

TBC: About time right?