Punished Love

He stopped and slowly turned around to face Yugi. "How did you-?"

"I felt it."

Yami didn't understand. All of his emotions were locked away behind a solid wall. "You-?"

"Yes," Yugi said standing up.

"What kind of hurt?" Yami asked chalengingly, crossing his arms.

"Emotional." There was a small pause. "Why were you there?" he asked, pointing to Kaiba's house. Yami didn't answer. "I'll tell you why! Well, it can only be for two things: you're sleeping with him, or physical pain!" Yugi was starting to get angry, his voice raising to almost a yell.

"Calm down, little one."

"And,"Yugi continued, ignoring his yami, "since Seto isn't like that, you're hurt more than I thought! Let me see."

"See what?"

"Wrists first." Yami hesitated, then held out his arms. Yugi looked them over and was satisfied when he saw there were no marks, not even old scars. He looked further and saw the same was true about the rest of his arm. "OK. Now take off your shirt-."

"WHAT?! No. No, that's where I draw the line. I will not take off my shirt in the middle of the street."

"We're not-."

"You know what I mean." With that, Yami turned and walked back to the game shop. He did not talk to Yugi, though he knew he was behind him.

But Yugi tried to make him talk. /Yami?/ he asked through their bond. No answer. He tried a different way. /Atem-?/

Yami growled.

//OK. Now that I have your attention: Who hurt you?// Again there was no answer. //I want to know. I have to know. If I don't know, I can't help you.// Yami sighed as he walked up the stairs into their home. "You know who's hurting me right now? You are!"

Yami suddenly turned on Yugi. "How?!"

"By not answering my questions!"

"I do not want the whole world to know!"

//So tell me this way.//

"I...I cannot. It hurts too much." He sat down on a chair in the kitchen.

"You can't tell me? I thought I was your best-." Yugi stopped and gasped when Yami took his shirt off. "Oh, Yami." Yugi's voice was soft. Yami stood and turned. "Yami, why?"

Yami sighed and turned back. Yugi's lip trembled and his eyes shimmered. "Hikari." Yugi left the room. "Yugi, don't." //Hikari.// Nothing. //Koi,// his mind whispered. He thought it was too soft for Yugi to feel, but he heard the door to Yugi's room slam and he felt the door to Yami's mind slowly close.