A/N: This story's focus is all about Yugi and Yami's relationship so, fair warning that there will be no grand duels or big villains popping up. It's all about the puzzleshipping, my friends. Also, I don't intend to include secondary character dialogue except in text or email format. However, if I am feeling inspired by a particular character/pairing, I might do a separate one-shot based in this story's universe.

Chapter Three

Yami was dreaming of Yugi Mutou.

Sheets tangled around him, the former pharaoh kicked off the blankets as he descended deeper into unconsciousness. In this dream, his hikari was crying. He was younger than he was now, maybe thirteen, and as he stripped off the shirt of his school uniform, Yami realized the source of Yugi's pain.

Bruises, black and blue, covered Yugi's ribs and chest. The boy limped as he sank into his bed. There was a cut on his side that was bleeding, and he tended to the wound with a first aid kit, wincing as he poured on antiseptic.

Yami could feel the younger boy's sadness and defeat. It consumed him.

"Where were you?" Yugi asked him. He was angry with him, and his distrust and disappointment fed through their bond. Yami tried to speak but, like all the dreams before it, he was mute as he watched his hikari retreat from him. The younger boy closed his eyes and curled into a ball, his shoulders trembling as he fell further into the darkness.

Yami jerked awake at the sound of his alarm. He silenced the noise as the dream replayed in his mind, and he flinched as he remembered Yugi's accusing tone. Since he'd met him, Yami's dreams had been filled with Yugi's past – funerals of his loved ones, bullies who beat him, losing his best friend to a foster home in another city, and the excruciating isolation of living without part of his soul.

A yami was supposed to protect his hikari, and yet Yami had failed Yugi so much already.

The two had not spoken for six days since their walk. Yami had been replaying it over and over in his head. The day had been going well at first. Yugi was relaxed as they walked, even starting to open up to him, but then something changed. He could feel the moment Yugi had retreated from him. It was like the boy had sliced the connection between them, and Yami had felt every molecule of oxygen squeezed from his lungs.

At that time, it had only been a day, but, despite that, Yami had already started adjusting to Yugi's presence in his mind. Their unformed bond was weak, the slightest tug on his conscious, but the moment that Yugi's presence disappeared, the loss of the younger's boy feedback felt like a belly flop in a pool of concrete.

Yami had reached out for the younger boy, desperate, frantic even, for his hikari's mind to brush against his again. Touching Yugi, Yami was discovering, was an aphrodisiac, and as soon as his fingers were on the boy's skin, he'd felt the heavy coil of pleasure unfurling inside of him, breath returning to his lungs. He had coaxed Yugi back to him and away from the wall the younger boy had erected, and felt their bond spark back to life as his light relaxed into him. His panic faded as Yugi relaxed into him, and the warmth from the boy had filled him, prying the troubled thoughts from his mind and scattering them to the wind.

Then Yugi was gone again and even now, Yami still felt like the wind was being knocked out of him. He had spent the past six days with a hollowness growing inside him, and the bond between his hikari was only a thread now. Flashes of the boy's emotions still brushed against his consciousness every so often but, the longer they were apart, the weaker he felt.

Today was his last scheduled day in Domino but, his cousin, Seto, knew better than anyone that he couldn't leave without Yugi. His cousin had met his mate, Jou, when they were teenagers and after almost three years of circling around one another, Seto had given into the other boy. It was only after his connection with Jou had developed that Seto had regained his shadow magic.

The thought of being separated from Yugi for such an extended period of time was torturous, and Yami couldn't fathom the pain his cousin must have endured when trying to distance himself from Jou. The only reason Yami had managed to give Yugi space to think were the dreams that haunted him at night.

The narrative of his sleep had weaved the story of Yugi's loss. His hikari had lost many of the people that he loved young in life and had been bullied for much of his childhood. Yugi was wary of giving out his trust, let alone his heart, and trying to ram his way through the younger boy's walls wasn't going to get him what he wanted.

He would need to ease the boy into the idea of sharing his soul with another, of opening himself, for better or for worse, to his darker half. Yami knew that Yugi had felt the call of their connection in the park and, the boy's continued attempts to siphon it would do nothing but exhaust him. The bond between a hikari and yami was born within them, a part of them, and continuing to deny the second half of his soul would be an impossible battle for the younger boy.

Yami dressed for the day, pausing as a flash of Yugi's frustration passed through him. The younger boy was discouraged with something. His hikari's frustration had rolled through him several times since their separation, and every time Yami closed his eyes to discern the cause of the boy's irritation, he'd felt the sizzle of the Millennium Puzzle's power. It seemed that Yugi was occupying much of his time with the ancient artifact, and its energy crackled down the bond every time the boy struggled with it.

Yami let his hikari's emotion fade, picking up a piece of paper from his nightstand. With only two local owned game shops in Domino, it had been easy to find the address of Yugi's grandfather's store, and Yami had written down the directions to the Kame Game Shop right after he'd returned from their walk in the park.

The paper had tormented him for the past six days because if anything was worse than being separated from Yugi, it was being separated and knowing where the boy was. However, Yami had remained patient, tapping into his legendary self-control to give the boy distance but, today it was long past the time to be reunited with his light.

Yugi was struggling.

Fumbling with one of the pieces of the Millennium Puzzle, he tried to slide it into place until realizing it was the wrong shape for the slot. He sighed, dropping the piece with the others, and resisted the urge to lay his head on the desk and close his eyes.

Yugi was tired. He'd hadn't slept much since meeting Yami last week, and he'd been finding it difficult to concentrate, let alone make progress with the puzzle. Still, he'd found himself sitting at his desk more than usual the past few days, trying to make sense of the glimmering pieces spread in front of him. Working on the puzzle had always comforted him, and each time he sifted through the pieces, his problems seemed to drift away.

Rain slated down his bedroom window, grey light slanting across his desk as he studied the remaining pieces. He had been working on the Millennium Puzzle for more than three years now and while the number of pieces had grown fewer, he still had a handful to go before he'd be finished, and they'd been the trickiest pieces yet.

He leaned back in his desk chair, staring at the ceiling. He had class in a few hours and homework that he hadn't even started but, every time he hunkered down to go over an assignment, his mind had been wondering to a certain Duel Monster's champion.

After he'd returned home from his walk with Yami, Yugi had curled up in bed, trying to sleep but, he'd found himself wracked with guilt. What is wrong with you? he asked himself for the thousandth time. He didn't know what it was about Yami that made him act so crazy. His grandfather had raised him to treat others with kindness and respect, but every time Yugi was around older boy, it was like his brain took an early lunch.

He had thought about returning to the hotel to apologize for his abrupt departure at the park but, he realized that he wasn't likely to get the room number of the King of Games from the concierge. That, and he was terrified of what other stupid things he would do if he ended up alone in a room with the older boy.

Yugi sighed, gathering up the puzzle pieces and nestling them in their box. The metal rattled inside as he stored it in his desk drawer and pulled out his textbooks. He stared at his reading, determined to concentrate, but found his thoughts slipping after the first line. He restarted. It took him five failed attempts before he closed the book, sighing as his phone buzzed on his nightstand.

He crossed the room and sat on his bed, checking the text from his friend, Ryou. The boy had been texting him several times a day since the disaster in the park. He and Anzu were both worried by their friend's sudden lack of focus and sleep, and they had taken to checking up on him whenever they could.

Did you finish the history homework? –R

Yugi replied and laid back on his sheets, willing himself to fall into a true deep sleep. He felt exhausted, and no matter how much he'd slept the past week, his dreams had been restless, filled with dark fog and Yami's voice whispering in his ear, his lips on his neck, hands tracing his skin. He'd woken the past six days sweating and hard beneath the covers, feeling as if he hadn't gotten a wink of rest despite the hours of unconsciousness.

He checked Ryou's reply as his phone vibrated beside him.

See you in class? –R

Sending a response, Yugi closed his eyes again. Ryou had been his best friend since secondary school, when the two boys banded together after recognizing their top target status for the school's bullies. Like him, Ryou didn't have many people in his life, and after years of having each other's back, it was second nature to keep an eye on each other. Yugi felt bad for worrying him but, if he could just get a good night's sleep and forget about ever meeting Yami Atemu, he was sure he would be fine.

Yami ascended the stairs of the Mutou residence.

Yugi's grandfather, Sugoroku, a stocky man with white spiked hair and overalls, had recognized him the moment that he'd entered the game shop, bowing deep before shaking Yami's hand. After explaining the connection to his grandson, the older man had called for Yugi at the base of the steps but, the boy didn't emerge from the Mutou apartment. Sugoroku had waved Yami up the steps, unable to leave the shop unattended, but reminding him to admonish his grandson for keeping his connection with the Duel Monsters champion a secret.

The steps creaked as Yami reached the front door. He knocked, listening as footsteps approached then paused before the door swung open. Yugi looked as worn as Yami felt as he peered into the hallway, his eyes widening at the older boy's unexpected appearance.

"Atemu-san!" Yugi said. He opened the door wider, inviting the older boy in. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to visit you," Yami said, stepping inside. "You said your grandfather owned a game shop so, I looked it up, and he said you were here."

Yugi shut the door behind him, and looked up at the older boy. "I'm actually glad you came," Yugi said, smoothing out his shirt. "I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry about last week. I shouldn't have just left in the middle of our walk. It was really rude of me."

"Don't apologize," Yami said, "I should have respected your space."

Yugi fiddled with one of his shirt buttons. "It really wasn't about that," he said. "I just - I don't know. I freaked out, I guess."

He led the older boy further into the apartment, entering the family kitchen. It was a tiny room, with blue walls and worn wooden floors. Yugi offered him a chair at the table, and he watched his hikari rummage through the cabinets as he took a seat.

"Tea?" Yugi asked, emerging with a container of leaves.

"I think I learned my lesson the last time I tried to drink tea with you around," Yami said, teasing, hoping to ease his hikari's nerves. The younger boy was a bundle of anxiety, and Yami wished he would sit down. The longer Yugi stood, the more exhausted he seemed.

"Right," Yugi said, distracted. He put down the container, eyes finding Yami's.

"Yugi," Yami said, "sit with me."

His hikari sank into the chair next to him. "Sorry," he said. "I am just tired. I don't even know what I am doing half the time lately."

"Trouble sleeping?" Yami said.

"Something like that," Yugi said. He rubbed his eyes, slumping in his chair.

"Yugi?" Yami said, watching the younger boy. He was hesitant to reach out to him even though every part of him screamed to do so. "Are you okay?"

With his yami in front him, it would be much more difficult for his light to fight the bond. The connection between a hikari and yami was built on shared mental and physical space. It would develop the longer that the pair was together, and every second they sat in the same room, sharing space, their connection would grow, becoming that much harder to deny.

However, the bond could only grow to full maturity when both halves were in alignment, accepting their roles as part of one soul. Until then, physical touch would anchor the pair to one another, easing the stress of the half formed bond by supplementing their mental connection.

"I'm fine," Yugi said, yawning. It seemed only force of will kept him from sliding out of his chair. "I've just been busy with school lately. It's getting close to midterms."

Yami shared the younger boy's exhaustion. It weighed down on him like concrete blocks stacked on his shoulders. It had been hard enough when Yugi was apart from him, but now that they were sitting in the same room, he just wanted to feel his hikari's mind brush against his. The bond was repairing itself the longer they sat together but, it would be expedited if his light reached out for him, showing just the smallest gesture of acceptance.

The two boys settled back in their chairs, both fighting the fatigue that hung like smog in the air. Both were silent as they slipped into their own thoughts

"I'm sorry," Yugi said, straightening. "I'm being rude again."

"Your apology is unnecessary. We are both distracted," Yami said.

Yugi sighed. He propped his head on his hand, studying the older boy "I'm really not doing very well at this, am I?" he said.

Yami was silent, waiting for him to continue.

"I am just not usually such a – spaz," Yugi said. "At first, I thought it was because you're, well, famous, but I don't think that's really it."

"How would you describe it?" Yami said, wondering how much of his suspicions the younger boy would share.

"I'm really not sure," Yugi said. "It's hard to explain."

Yami wasn't surprised that his hikari didn't mention the energy that he must have been feeling whenever Yami was around him. It was one thing to suspect magic and another entirely to admit it out loud. Yami had been raised with the knowledge of his magic. It had been snapping at its chains since he was a child, and even though he could never access it, the dark energy had been a constant presence in his life.

Still, when his mother had told him the truth of his past on his thirteenth birthday, it had been difficult to take in – ancient powers, another part of his soul, destined to save the world. It hadn't fully sunk in until Seto had met Jou more than two years later.

As one of the ancient priests who had sealed the millennium items thousands of years ago, Seto had been reborn as a safeguard for the universe, meant to keep a constant watch on the holders of the millennium items and their power. The weight of his duty had settled heavy on his cousin from an early age, and he'd become cold and distant as the years passed. By the time he turned fifteen, Seto had become unable to access his magic, the darkness of his isolation having tainted his soul. Then, Jou appeared.

Jou was not a hikari but, magic was part of his and Seto's bond. The boy was the light to his cousin's darkness and, it was Jou that had pulled Seto back from the edge and freed him from the shadows that had bound him for so long. When it came to love, it seemed, there was a magic all its own.

"My feelings are the same," Yami said. "I've felt something – unique - between the two of us since we met in the café." He met the younger boy's eyes. Yugi wasn't ready for the truth of their connection, not yet. "That's why I will be staying in Domino for the time being."

"But, what about your job?" Yugi said, startled.

"I will work from the Domino offices," Yami said. "I meant what I said in the café. I want to know you and, I have no intention of leaving any time soon."

Yugi sat back in his chair, biting his lip. "I'd like that too," he said. His cheeks were pink but, he was relaxed as he smiled at the older boy.

The tension from Yami's body faded as he felt Yugi's presence brush against his mind, their bond pulsing with his hikari's small surrender. The relief that flooded him felt like the sun warming his skin, lulling him into the relaxed mental space he was coming to associate with his hikari. His exhaustion returned full force but, he welcomed it as it weighed down his limbs in a bleary tranquility. He closed his eyes, Yugi's conscious still brushing his, magic sparking under his skin at his light's energy.

Magic, Yami's mother had once told him, cannot exist without balance. To be able to control the dark energy of the shadow realm meant having a partner with enough light to reach through the darkness. That's what a hikari was, his mother had explained, a reason to seek out the light even when he thought the darkness had already consumed him.

Yami's felt his hikari's hand touch his, and his eyes shot open as he realized he'd started to doze off.

"Nice nap?" Yugi said, teasing. He kept his hand on Yami's for a second, his warmth spiraling though the older boy before withdrawing. "I have to go to class now, but do you want to walk with me? It's not too far from here."

Yami nodded, groggy, as Yugi went to collect his books. He couldn't believe how easy it was becoming to relax in the younger boy's presence. Yami had never considered himself an open person, even before he'd been crowned the King of Games, but he was finding that when it came to Yugi, he was willing to let down all of his walls.

"Ready?" Yugi said, a backpack slung over his shoulder.

More than you know, aibou.