Thank you to everyone who read the last chapter. I am updating early cause I have plans tonight. Carpal tunnel SUCKS! Yeah, I have carpal tunnel, and it flared up. But I'm not giving up on this story or writing. I've decided I'm going to start updating every two weeks, rather than every week. For my hand more than anything else. I own Sara and I don't own Yu-gi-oh or any of the characters. It belongs to Kazuki Takahashi, Toei, Shueisha, Konami, etc. Please kudos, comment, and bookmark.

~The next morning~

Sara opened her eyes and saw it was 6:30 A.M. "Need more sleep." she mumbled, turning over. After tossing and turning a few times, Sara groaned before she got out of bed, grabbed some clothes, and stumbled into the bathroom. After doing her routine, Sara pulled on her boots, grabbed her keys, and quietly shut the door. After grabbing a couple of apples from the cafeteria, she decided to explore behind the castle. When Sara entered the grounds, she was astounded by how big it seemed. It was almost like she wasn't in a limited space but a field with greenery miles abound. Towards the edge, Sara noticed a large building with a rectangular shape, a pitched roof, and a barn door cracked open.

She decided to check out the barn. By the time she reached it, she had finished the first apple. "Maybe I'll give the other to one of the horses." She considered as she entered. Several different smells hit her nostrils, some good, some bad. "Take it easy." She murmured to herself. She walked down the aisle, taking everything in as she looked around. "Wow, this is awesome." She was mystified. Sara stopped mid-aisle and walked over to the left stall. She peeked in it, not noticing the horse. The horse came up and startled her. "Whoa!" She exclaimed, stumbling back and falling into a bucket full of water. "What in the hell is going on?!" A deep voice bellowed as he came up and petted the horse's nose. Sara chuckled nervously. "Hi, Mister Muto." She greeted him.

Yami turned to look at the teen. "Ms. Wheeler? What are you doing here?" He wondered. "Exploring." She stated. Yami raised an eyebrow. "And you decided to come to a stable where they're strange animals?" He asked rhetorically. "When you say it that way… It sounds bad." She said sheepishly. Yami rolled his eyes. "That's because it is." He said bluntly. Sara glared as she tried to get out of her predicament. "Can you help me?" She asked after a couple of attempts. Yami sighed before he stretched his hand out. She stretched her hand out, grabbed it, and pulled her up. Sara shivered as the water soaked her jeans. "Thanks," She mumbled.

Yami nodded. "You're welcome." He said. Sara turned and looked at the horse. He was black with golden eyes. "What's his name?" She wondered. Yami smiled as he stroked his nose. "Pharaoh." He said. Sara smiled. "A good name." She complimented as she held out her hand, letting him sniff it. Yami cleared his throat."You never answered my question." He reminded her. Pharoah placed his nose under her hand. "I came because I've never been to a stable." She answered truthfully. "I guessed." He said. Sara looked down and shrugged. "My mom was always busy, so she never took me." She said truthfully. Yami looked at the teen curiously. "Do you want to learn to ride?" He asked. Sara smiled brightly and nodded. "Absolutely." She declared. Yami nodded astutely. "Alright, I'll get the blanket, saddle, bridle, and reins." He told her. He came back with the items in his arms. "Take these while I get Pharaoh out of his stall." He said, passing them to her. Sara's eyes widened. "Wait, I'm going to ride him?!" She said incredulously. Yami nodded. "Correct. Students ride the other horses here. Plus, I trust Pharaoh to behave." He explained. After getting Pharaoh tacked up and outside the barn, Yami stood beside the horse, stretched his arms downward, and cupped his hands. "Put your foot on my hand." He instructed. Sara nodded before she walked up, put her foot on his hand, and pushed up while her other leg went on the other side of the saddle. "How's the view up there?" He asked. Sara looked around. "Awesome." She said as Yami took the reins, pulling them forward. "So why did you run out of class that fast yesterday?" He asked. "Emotional overload." She answered cryptically. Yami raised a brow. "Why?" He wondered. "Never been this far away from home." She answered half-truthfully. "You aren't a normal teen, are you?" He said knowingly. Sara smiled cheekily."I'm not like a lot of teenagers." She said knowingly. Yami looked at her. "You aren't. most teenagers would still be in bed." He stated matter of factly. She shrugged. "I went to bed early." She said truthfully.

"Do you like your classes?" He asked as he steered them right. "I do." She said, "Any favorites?" He wondered. She chuckled. "Too soon to tell." She said knowingly. They talked more, and then they fell into a comfortable silence. After a while, Sara looked at Yami and saw he was in his head. "Is he thinking about Dad?" She wondered. "Hey, where were you?" She wondered. Yami blinked, then shook his head. "Nowhere," He said quickly. "Are you sure?" Yami stared at Sara. "I don't want to talk about it," he said firmly. Sara held up her hands. "Sorry! It just seemed like you had something on your mind." She apologized, grabbing the snaffle rein. An awkward silence settled between them. "May I just say one thing?" Yami glared at her. "What?' He snapped. "You need to talk to them, whoever they are. Clear the air then, see if you can start anew." She advised calmly. For a moment, Yami was silent. "I'll think about it." He considered. "I think it's time to go back." He announced as he led them back toward the stable.

After untacking Pharoah, Yami put him back in his stall and locked the door. "That's a good boy." He murmured, stroking his nose. "Does he have any favorite treats?" Sara asked. Yami nodded. "Sugarcubes. They should be in a container on the wall at the end of the stable." He answered. Sara quickly went to the end of the stable, got out a few sugar cubes, and walked back. "Got them." She said as she held them out over the stall door. Pharaoh immediately started to munch on the cubes and was finished a minute later. "That was fast." She commented. Yami nodded. "Yep. He's always eaten them fast." He said before he started to walk away. Yami looked back. "Are you coming?" He asked, and Sara went up and began to walk with him.

Both walked out of the stable and towards the Castle. "So what are you going to do now?" He wondered curiously. "I'm going back to my dorm. Hopefully, my roommate doesn't freak out about me being gone." She answered. "You didn't leave a note?" He asked. Sara shook her head. "I didn't expect to be gone as long as I have." She retorted. "True." He conceded. Sara bit her lip nervously. "Maybe we could do a riding lesson every Saturday morning?" She suggested. Yami shrugged. "I don't see why not." He said nonchalantly. Sara smiled excitedly, "See you in class?" She asked. Yami nodded. "Definitely." He answered. "Bye." She bid him goodbye. "Bye." He said back. Sara walked away, going towards her dorm. "I hope Alexis doesn't kill me for not leaving a note." She thought.

A few days later, the cafeteria was filled with people while they ate and talked with their friends. Yami quickly moved through the line and sat down at a table. He ate in silence despite the noise around him. When he finished, he left it in the trash. He walked into the middle of the room and stopped as he saw a familiar head of dirty blond hair. Joey glimpsed at Yami and turned around, exiting the cafeteria. Yami immediately went after him."Joey! Joey! There you are." He called as he caught up to the man. Joey smiled stiffly. "Hey, Yami." He greeted stiffly. Joey felt the orichalcos urge him to leave, but he didn't move. "I was hoping to find you," Yami said with a smile. "Well, you found me. What's up?" He wondered. "I wanted to talk," Yami said hopefully. Joey shook his head. "Not now, Yami." He declined before he walked away. "Stop and come back here," Yami ordered sharply. Joey stopped and walked back to his ex. "You promised." He said, his voice cracking. Yami looked unphased. "I'm your superior. I can order you if I want to." He said haughtily. Joey glared at the man. "We're not knights here. We're teachers." He reminded him. "Teachers? I don't even want to be here!" Yami exclaimed. Joey rolled his eyes. "Poor little knight. Why don't you run to Your Majesty to fix it?" Joey muttered before he started to walk away.

The darkness took over Yami, who gritted his teeth, grabbed Joey's arm, turned him around, and punched him. "You ass!" He hissed while Joey stumbled a little. Joey stared at his former lover. "Is that all you got?" He wondered before he punched Yami back. Yami stumbled but regained his footing. "Oh, you've asked for it now." He growled before he pounced at the taller man.

Students backed away to let the two men have room. "What I saw in you, I will never know!" Yami yelled as he punched Joey in the stomach. "I have no idea what the hell I saw in an arrogant punk like you!" Joey shot back. They took turns punching each other. The orichalcos gleamed on their foreheads as they sunk deeper into their anger. Joey tried to deck Yami again, but Yami dodged the punch, causing Joey to stumble. "What? Can't you punch me?" He taunted. Joey caught himself, turned around, and uppercut punched him. "Just like that?" He boasted. Yami quickly recovered and decked Joey hard. Joey stood up, turned around, and tackled Yami. Both struggled as they wrestled. They broke apart and glared at each other. They circled each other. "We never should've been together!" Yami yelled. Joey was silent. "What? No comeback?" Yami taunted. Joey glared harshly. "Just one. Go to hell." He hissed. Yami grabbed something from his boot. A knife. "Everyone back away!" Someone exclaimed, and people took several steps back. "Someone, go get the principal!" someone exclaimed loudly. Joey's eyes widened. "You don't want this." He dissuaded. Yami smirked as he twirled the blade. "Oh, don't I?" He smirked. "Please, don't." Joey pleaded. Yami shook his head. "You don't have a hold on me." He hissed as he pulled back his arm.

Yami threw the knife, and Joey quickly crouched. Sara didn't have time to duck, so The blade grazed her cheek as it flew past before it clanged to the ground. "Ow!" She howled in pain as blood oozed down her cheek. Both Joey and Yami stared in shock at what they'd done. The principal moved through the crowd until he made it to where Yami and Joey were."What the hell is going on here?" He exclaimed, horrified. Rafael pointed to Yami and Joey. "You two, come with me. Get her to the nurse." He ordered before he left with Yami and Joey close behind.

~In the principal's office~

Rafael stood behind his desk while Yami and Joey sat on the other side of the desk. Rafael glared at both of them hard. "Why, in all my years teaching, this has never happened. My educators are fighting in front of students! As teachers, you are supposed to set an example for these kids. What do you have to say for yourselves?" he ranted, looking back and forth. Yami and Joey looked away. "We got caught up in the anger," Joey told him. "Caught up in anger?" He repeated. "You injured a student!" He recalled hotly. Both winced at the reminder. "Usually, I'd give them a detention, but your punishment will be fair." He said. Rafael looked at Joey. "When are you going to start your sword fighting lessons?" He inquired curiously. "In a few weeks. I'm trying to build up their strength." He answered. "When you do, Mister Muto will be helping you, and you will do a demonstration." He said. "What?!" Both Yami and Joey yelled in shock. "There's no way I'm working with him!" They said simultaneously. Rafael looked at them sternly, "You have no choice. It's an order from me." He stated simply. Both men looked disgruntled. "Think of it as a trust exercise." He said.

Neither of them looked enthusiastic at the notion."I need to go and do damage control," Rafael said before he left, shutting the door behind him. An awkward silence filled the room, and Yami looked over at Joey. "I'm sorry." He said, looking at him apologetically. Joey sighed. "Are you?" He said, not believing him. Yami sighed. "Joey… I am." He said sincerely. Joey picked at his fingernails. "What you said sounded pretty truthful," Joey said knowingly. Yami stayed silent. He let his hurt and anger from their break-up fuel the darkness, and he let it get out of hand. Joey looked up and stared into Yami's crimson irises. "Do you regret being with me?" He asked truthfully.

Yami was about to answer when a knock sounded on the door. "Doors open!" Joey called out. Sara slipped into the room. Joey and Yami looked guilty when they spotted the adhesive bandage on her cheek. "Ms. Wheeler! I am so—" Both men started to apologize when Sara held up her hand. She looked at both of them. "You weren't yourselves. The Darkness overtook both of you." She said understandingly. "How do you know?" Joey inquired before Yami could. Sara smiled bitterly. "My mom's a nurse. I've seen the aftermath of these fights. The fighters always have remorse afterward." She explained softly.

Sara looked at both her parents. "Look, I don't know what happened between you. You need to reach a truce." She stated bluntly. Joey stared at her. "Why the hell do you care?" He demanded. She stared at her dad sternly. "I don't want to see another orichalcos rage fight, and I don't want a family member injured." She stated truthfully. "Who the hell are you?" Joey demanded. I'm your niece." She told him. Both men stared in shock. "Serenity?" He guessed. Sara nodded. "Who's Serenity?" Yami wondered, confused. Joey ran a hand through his hair. "My sister," Joey said. Yami stared at Joey. "Why didn't you tell me?" He questioned. "It's complicated." He mumbled. Sara nodded in agreement. "It is." She agreed. "Do you agree to a truce?" She prompted. Both men crossed their arms. "Come on, shake hands." She encouraged them. Both men begrudgingly shook hands. "I'm sorry." They apologized. Sara tightly smiled. "I'm going to go." She said before she walked toward the door. "Sara, I am sorry," Yami said remorsefully. Her hand on the handle, Sara stopped. "I know you are." She said before she left, shutting the door behind her.

Yami scrubbed his face. "God, This is so bad." He groaned. Joey looked at his ex sympathetically. "I know I'm the last person you'd want advice from, but maybe you should talk to somebody." He suggested. Yami stared at Joey skeptically. "I'm not crazy." He denied. Joey rolled his eyes. "No, but sometimes you need someone to talk to." He said, grabbing a pen and paper and writing a number down. He held it out to Yami. "It's the number of my therapist. If you want it." He explained. Yami hesitated but ultimately took the paper. "Thanks." He mumbled, putting it in his pants pocket. "You know you never answered my question." He piped up. Yami raised an eyebrow. "What question?" He tried to play dumb. Joey gave him a 'Are you kidding me?' look. "You know which one." He said knowingly.

Did he regret being with Joey? From the moment they met, they were fast friends. They spent all their time together, and growing feelings developed. Their first kiss was something he'd never forget. They almost bumped each other in the foreheads before getting it right. They got together and stayed together. Sure, there were fights and petty arguments. Then Joey ran away. He still didn't know why, but if Yami knew Joey the way he thought he did, then he had a reason. Yami went through the good, the bad, and the ugly in his head, and Yami found he didn't regret it at all.

Joey twiddled with his thumbs. "So?" Joey wondered, eager to know. Yami smirked. "You know, I need to go." He said, standing up and walking to the door. "Wait, aren't you going to answer?" He inquired. Yami turned his head and looked at Joey. "You walked away from me. It's my turn." He stated before he walked away, leaving Joey in the dust. Joey gaped in bewilderment. "What the hell just happened?" He exclaimed to the empty room.

A little over a week went by quickly. When Serenity found out about Sara's cut, she was livid. She wanted to go to the school, go up to Yami, and punch him out. Sara was able to dissuade her from doing so, but barely. When her Aunt meets her Papa, he would get an earful from her. Sara hoped she would not be around when that happened. Her classes were going well. But she has been avoiding her Papa and her dad, mostly Papa. Sara didn't know what to say, so she avoided him outside the classroom.

It was Friday, and It was lunchtime, and Sara could hear the whispers of the other students. Ever since the confrontation between her fathers, it ended with her hurt. It's all people could talk about. "Hey, are you ok?" Alexis asked after they got their food. Sara shook her head. "I think I'm going to eat somewhere else." She told her friend. Alexis looked worried. "Do you want me to go with you?" She asked. Sara shook her head. "I was going to see if my uncle wanted some company." She admitted. Alexis sighed. "Is that a good idea?" She questioned. Sara sighed heavily. "Honestly, I don't know, but this awkward limbo sucks, and someone needs to clear the air." She declared honestly. Alexis knew she was right. "I wish your uncle would come to you, but if you feel that you need to do this, I can't stop you." She said knowingly. Sara smiled thankfully. "Thanks, I'll see you after class?" She wondered, hopefully. Alexis nodded. "Yes. Now go before I change my mind about letting you go." She urged her. Sara chuckled before she walked out of the cafeteria.

She was about halfway to the gym when she bumped into someone. "Oof!" She exclaimed. She glanced up to see her dad. Joey smiled when he saw who he bumped into. "Sara! I was looking for you." He said happily. Sara smiled at him. "I was looking for you too." She said also. "I'm surprised you're not eating with your friends." He commented curiously. Sara shrugged. "I wanted to be away from the whispers and talk to you." She told him. "Whispers?" He wondered, confused. Sara bit her lip. "People have been gossiping about the fight for the past week, and I wanted to get away for an hour at least." She admitted. Joey nodded in understanding. "I get it. They'll find something else to talk about sooner or later." He assured her. "It can't happen soon enough." She groaned. Joey smiled sympathetically. "So you want to go back to my office for lunch?" He suggested. Sara nodded gratefully. "That would be great." She said, "Follow me." He said, gesturing to her to follow him.

They went to the gym and walked to the back, where there was a door. Joey took a keyring out, picked out a key, and unlocked the door. "Here we are." He announced. It was a medium-sized room with a desk and a chair. The room is filled with various exercise equipment. "Wow. Where am I going to sit?" She wondered. Joey looked around and rolled a yoga ball over. "There, sit down." He invited her. Sara placed her tray on the desk and sat down on the ball. "Thanks." She said while Joey sat in the chair at his desk.

An awkward silence washed over them. "I forgive you." She told him. Joey looked at her. "I don't think you should." He stated. Sara rolled her eyes. "It was an accident." She insisted, annoyed. Joey didn't budge. "This time. What about next time?" He asked her. Sara sighed. "We will cross the bridge when it happens." She said knowingly. "Will you accept my forgiveness?" She asked hopefully, her eyes pleading. Joey looked into her eyes, those green eyes. Joey groaned. "Fine! I accept your forgiveness." He relented. Sara smiled brightly. "Thank you, Mr Wheeler." She said happily. Knowing she was on borrowed time, Sara ate quickly. Putting her fork down, She looked at Joey. "You know you can ask, right?" She piped up. Joey furrowed his eyebrows. "Ask what?" He wondered. Sara smirked. "About Mom." She said knowingly. "Where have I seen that smirk before?" He asked himself curiously, trying to pinpoint where he'd seen that smirk before. "Oh. How is she?" He wondered. "She's good. She's missed you." She stated knowingly. "She's not pissed at me?" He said, surprised. Sara winced. "Ok, maybe a little." She admitted. Joey grimaced. "I'll just need to make it up to her." He said knowingly. "Maybe, call her?" Sara suggested. Joey smiled. "That's a great idea! Do you have her number?" He asked hopefully. Sara chuckled, "Yes, I do." She answered. Sara grabbed a paper and pen and wrote Serenity's cell and their home phone number. "Here are both the home and her cell numbers." She stated certainly. "Thank you." He said sincerely. "You're welcome." She said in kind.

Someone knocked on the door. "It's open," Joey called out. Yami opened the door. "Hey Joey, I was wondering… Oh, Ms. Wheeler, I didn't see you there." He said, noticing the teenager there. Sara smiled. "I was just leaving. I need to go anyway." She said, grabbing her backpack and slinging it on her shoulder. Sara was about to leave when she stopped. "Mister Muto?" Sara called out. Yami turned to look at the girl. "Yes, Ms. Wheeler?" He answered. Sara held out her hand. "Can we start over?" She wondered. Yami looked at the hand. "Are you sure?" He asked. Sara nodded. "Like I told my uncle, it was an accident." She assured him, still holding out her hand. Yami stared at her. "You're not going to stop trying, are you?" He stated knowingly. She shook her head. "I'm a Wheeler. We're stubborn." She declared knowingly. Yami sighed. "Fine." He said, shaking her hand. "I'll see you on Saturday?" She said hopefully. Yami nodded. "Bright and early." He declared. After letting go, Sara noticed the time. "Sorry to leave, I'll be late if I don't go now!" She exclaimed before she hurried away.

Both men chuckled. "You know that was you the whole time you were here," Yami commented knowingly. Joey raised an eyebrow. "It was not!" He protested. Yami rolled his eyes. "It was so. You would have been late to every class if it wasn't for me." He declared knowingly, smirking. Joey rolled his eyes. "What were you going to ask?" He wondered curiously, changing the subject. Yami turned back to Joey. "Do you want to hang out tonight?" He asked hopefully. Joey bit his lip. "You sure this is a good idea after what happened?" He wondered knowingly. Yami sighed heavily. "Honestly, maybe, maybe not, I want to put the bad blood between us behind me. Don't you?" He wondered bluntly.

Joey wanted nothing more. He misses Yami terribly, whether as friends or lovers. He just wants the man in his life. "Yes, I want to hang out tonight." He agreed. He hoped he wouldn't regret it.

~A few hours later~

Sara was doing homework when she heard a crackling noise from her duffle bag. "Great, just what I need." She muttered before she went over and opened the bag. Sara grabbed the walkie-talkie, raced to the bathroom, and turned it to the first channel. "You are so lucky my roommate isn't around." She hissed. "Yeah, I'm contacting you because it's time," Kaiba announced knowingly. "When?" She asked. "May 5th. Meet our spy at the school gate at 11 p.m. Don't be late." Kaiba instructed. The walkie-talkie started, meaning Kaiba turned his walkie-talkie off. Sara turned hers off. Sara looked at the calendar on the wall. "It's the 29th…" She mumbled as she checked when May 5th was. "Great, just great!" She groaned internally.

May 5th is Children's Day and is on a Sunday. Banks will be closed but that means getting through school the next day will be a challenge. What the hell is her life?

~That night with Joey~

Joey wrung his hands as he gathered the courage to knock on the door. He took a deep breath and knocked. "I'm coming!" Yami's voice said from inside the apartment. The door opened, revealing Yami in jeans and no shirt. Joey's heart skipped a beat. "Hey, Joey. I didn't expect you so soon." He greeted him, grabbed something out of sight, and pulled a shirt over his head. Joey smiled awkwardly. "Hey, I decided to be on time for once." He greeted him. Yami cleared his throat. "Won't you come in?" He said, stepping aside to let him in.

Joey walked in. It was a standard living room with chairs, a coffee table, and a couch. There was a hallway with two doors. One to the side and one at the end of the hallway. "Nice space." He commented before he sat in one of the chairs. "Let me just get my jacket, and we can go." He said. Joey nodded. "Ok." He said before Yami went down the hall. A minute later, Yami came out wearing a jean jacket. "Let's go." He said, grabbing his keys off the coffee table. Joey stood up and followed Yami out of the apartment.

Within minutes, they were out of the building. "Where are we goin'?" Joey wondered. Yami turned and smiled mysteriously. "You'll see." He said, turning back around. Yami went in the direction of the stable. "Please stay here and be right back." He asked before he went into the stable. A few minutes later, Yami came with a rope, leading a horse behind him. "Pharaoh." Joey breathed out, seeing the horse's golden eyes.

When Pharoah stopped before Joey, he sniffed and nibbled on his hair. Joey smiled brightly. "I missed you too." He told the horse. "His smile is still as bright as it ever was," Yami observed before he shook his head. Pharoah neighed as he stepped back. Yami gave Joey the rope he was holding. "I need to get some stuff." He said as he went back into the stable. A few minutes later, Yami came out carrying a hose, a bottle of conditioner, and shampoo. "Are we going to give Pharoah a wash?"Joey wondered as Yami put down the items. Yami nodded. "He needs it." He said honestly. Joey nodded. "Let's get to work." He said.

Yami grabbed the hose and wetted him, starting from his legs to his body. "Hey, can you hold the rope? I'm going to wet his neck." He asked. Joey grabbed the bottom of the loose rope bridle. "Got it." He said. As Yami wetted Pharaoh's neck, he moved his head up. Joey pulled the rope down. "It's alright, it'll be over soon." He soothed as the horse bobbed his head again. Yami put the hose down. "Now for the shampoo." Both went to grab the shampoo. They freeze, their hands on top of each other. It felt right. Neither of them moved. Pharoah whined, and Yami and Joey pulled their hands away. "Let's get started," Yami murmured as he sprayed the shampoo all over Pharoah's coat. Both men lathered the shampoo over the horse. "So, how are you?" Yami asked. Joey giggled at how casual he sounded. "I'm doing fine, besides the obvious. Bring back here's a little weird. Being on the other side, I mean." He answered, referring to being a teacher. Yami nodded as he grabbed the hose again. "I never thought I would be here as a teacher." He said honestly. As Yami washed off the horse, Joey nodded in agreement. "Neither did I. But some good came out of it." He said knowingly. Yami raised his eyebrows. "Such as?" He wondered. Joey smiled. "Meeting my niece and getting to reconnect with you." He listed two things on the top of his head. Yami smiled. He was right. "Yeah. Those are good reasons." He agreed.

Yami grabbed the shampoo, went to the rear of the horse, and filled his hand with a palm full, setting it down before he lathered Pharoah's tail with the liquid. After he finished, he tossed the bottle of shampoo to Joey. "Can you get his mane while I wash his tail?" He wondered. Joey nodded as he put some shampoo in his hands. He gently put the shampoo in Pharoah's mane while Yami thoroughly washed the tail. "You finished washin' his tail?" He wondered. Yami nodded, grabbing the conditioner. After conditioning the tail and mane, they scrapped the coat. So they could get water off.

After putting Pharoah back in his stall, They went to clean up the supplies. "Thanks for letting me help," Joey said as he grabbed the washcloths. Yami waved it off. "I was grateful for the help. Besides, I'm happy to reunite you with him." He said happily. Yami spotted the bucket and had an idea. Yami took the hose, crept behind Joey, and sprayed water all over him. Joey turned around and sprayed until he was soaked. "What the hell?" Joey exclaimed. He turned to see Yami, who still had the hose in his hand but had stopped spraying. "I'm Sorry?" He said, trying not to laugh. Joey smiled mischievously. "You're going to get it now." He said, holding his arms out for a hug. Yami's eyes widened. "Oh, no." He uttered. Joey nodded, the smile still on his face. "Oh, yes." He said somewhat menacingly.

Dropping the hose, Yami dashed away as fast as he could. He was a few steps ahead of Joey. Yami saw Joey was gaining on him, so he increased his speed. But so did Joey. Who quickly caught up and wrapped arms around his waist. "Joey, let me go!" Yami protested. Joey shook his head. "No." He declared. Yami squirmed to try and get out of Joey's grip. "Joey, I'm getting soaked." He whined. Joey tightened his hold on Yami's waist and leaned down. "But I love having you in my arms." He confessed, his breath tickling the shell of Yami's ear. Yami blushed at the statement. He was glad he wasn't facing Joey because he'd see him blushing. If Yami was honest, His favorite place was in Joey's arms. He'll never admit it out loud.

Yami started kicking his legs back and forth. "Joey, let me go!" He pleaded. Joey didn't release him. "What's the magic word?" He asked in a sing-song voice. Yami managed to turn himself he was facing his captor. Their noses brushed against each other. Brown met red. Both men's hearts beat wildly. Yami lowered his head. "Joey, please let me go." He demanded. Joey smiled before putting Yami down. "All you have to do is say so." He said. Yami glared at the taller man. "That was mean." He pouted. Joey shrugged. "Payback." He stated simply. Yami opened his mouth a couple of times. "Fair." He said knowingly.

After they put away the supplies, Joey had an idea. "Want to walk around so we can dry off before goin' back?" Joey suggested. Yami nodded. "Sure." He agreed before they both walked away. They walked around until well after dark. They talked about anything or anything but the things they needed to enjoy just being in each other's company. It wasn't until they saw other people leaving that they decided to.

"It wasn't what I expected when you asked to hang out, but I had fun," Joey said honestly. They were still a little damp. But they weren't dripping wet either. They reached and entered their building. They took the stairs to the second floor and went down the hall to the apartment marked 2D.

"This is me," Yami said as they reached his apartment. Yami held out his hand. "Friends?" Yami offered. Joey nodded and took Yami's hand. "Friends." He confirmed. They took each other's hands and felt electricity shoot up their arms as they shook them. Moments later, they let go. "Goodnight," Yami murmured. Joey smiled as Yami took out his key. "Goodnight." He said as Yami unlocked his door, opened it, went in, and closed it. Joey walked in the direction of his apartment. When he arrived, he unlocked the door and quickly entered, closing the door behind him.

At the same time, Joey and Yami put their heads in their hands as they slid down the wall. Both wondered the same thing. "Why can't I let him go?"

Thanks for reading! The timeline is

Friday, April 19th: First day at school

Tuesday, April 23rd: The fight between Yami and Joey

Sunday, May 5th: The first mission.

I did this for my sake cause Sara was born in 1998, then in 2013, she'd be 15 going on 16.

There is a reason for the phone. Trust me.

Cross-posted on AO3: /works/49181158/chapters/125865376