Hi! XD I tried submitting this several times. Damn

author's notes kept being deleted! ._. Ignore the new line there, I can't get rid of it for some reason.

Anyway, it's the sequel to #19 - Pride, and this AU finally gets some Puzzleshipping! I hope you all enjoy it; I personally prefer it to the pride chapter.

#28 - Fear

Words - 565

Yu-Gi-Oh doesn't belong to me, but to Kazuki Takahashi.

Flames roared around the teen as he remained unmoving in the middle of the burning building, staring a the glittering golden fragments of the Millennium Puzzle.

'I could end it all now...' He thought to himself sadly. 'I can easily escape the fire. Mou Hitori No Boku's a murderer. He killed Kaiba-Kun...' He took a glance at the door. It would be easy to make a run for it and get to safety. 'I could leave the puzzle here, and it would melt... He wouldn't be able to hurt anyone again...' Nodding to himself, he began to stand, to walk away, to put this hell of a life away for good.

But he hesitated.

"I love you..." His other self's words still rang through his head. Now that he thought about it... The other had kept to his word; his grandfather was safe. He even went as far as not killing Pegasus when he had the chance.

"Kaiba wasn't supposed to die..." his other had pleaded after the situation. "I really did think he was bluffing..."

"We only have each other, now... And I'm sorry that I made your friends lose faith in you. I'll be here... For as long as you choose to keep me."

"No matter what you think of me, even if you hate me forever... I'll never stop caring about you. I deserve your anger. But you don't deserve to suffer any more than you have already."

Yuugi clutched his aching head, remembering some of the times Yami had tried to console him. Guilt washed over him; the other cared so much and he was actually considering damning him to whatever fate one whom had already died would be subjected to in such a situation. And in a situation where he couldn't even speak up to defend himself.

'What am I thinking?! He's a killer. Kaiba wasn't the first person he killed in my name. I'm afraid... What if he does it again? I've already lost my friends because of him...' Tears sprang to his eyes. What was he supposed to do? He was a forgiving person... And he definitely wasn't a killer. Wouldn't leaving Yami make him just as guilty? 'I won't let him die,' he decided firmly. 'He'd save me in this situation. And he's kept his word, he's not done anything else to hurt anyone... But I'm still afraid... This better pay off... I've been so cruel...' he took another glance around himself. 'I've gotten us into a dangerous situation... I don't have enough time to solve the puzzle and get out of here... But I have to try! I have to do something! I just need to see him... One last time... And apologize...'

His mind was set as he plucked several pieces of gold from the ground, desperately trying to set them in place, too focused on saving his other self to pay attention to his surroundings anymore. He didn't even hear somebody else come crashing through the building.

"Yuugi!"

After a few moments, he was met by honey-colored eyes. "J-Jounouchi-Kun..?"

He nodded. "I saw the flames, and I got worried, y'know?" He held out a hand. "Now let's get you out of here..."

Yuugi looked up at him. "Why... Why would you save me?"

The blonde's gaze hardened. "You'll die if we stay here! And this is your chance to be rid of that cursed thing once and for all!"

"No! I won't let you... I won't!"

'Aibou...' The other's voice rang through his mind in confused awe. 'Why are you defending me..?'

Despite not understanding how Yami's voice got through, Yuugi responded.

'Because... I care for you, too. I'm not afraid anymore.'

So here you go. If anything screwed up, sorry; it's a bitch to try typing on my phone.

Last chapter got ten reviews! Thanks to Lunagale, xfallenangel13x, yugi and yami lover, Scaehime, Doragon-chan, samaurai, happychica, TheCrystalEevee, onigiri chibi and Dark-Wiccan-Goddess! You guys are all so awesome! And my tablet's being a bitch now (switched to tablet) so I'll just say now that the next drabble will be called Shut Up. I'll sort formatting properly tomorrow. Anyway, please review, and thanks for sticking by this fanfic so far! ^.~