We build and then we break

We build and then we break

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Chapter Three

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Emma blinked confusedly at her mother, Yuugi and now Yami. She raised a brow and smiled at Yami running up to him in amazement. She wrapped her small arms around his legs, squealing in delight.

“Yuugi! Look Momma! It’s Yuugi!”

Yami could only stand there confused and slightly irritated with the small girl who hugged his legs. He cleared his throat, gazing into the little girl’s large innocent eyes.

“I’m not Yuugi.”

Emma cocked her head to the side, gazing at him with a perplexed expression. Seconds later, her face scrunched up in an adorable pout as she rolled her eyes.

“Yes you are you look just like him. I have posters of you in my room.”

Yami continued to shake his head, casting a pleading look towards Mai and the silent Yuugi.

Mai walked forward, bending down to her daughter’s level, running a finger through her long blonde hair.

“Sweetheart, that isn’t Yuugi.” She pulled Emma from Yami and took her towards Yuugi. She gestured towards the smaller male and spoke softly.

“Emma, this is Yuugi Mutou, world champion of Duel Monsters.”

“No it isn’t!” She pointed at Yami, fidgeting in her mother’s grasp. “That’s Yuugi!”

Yami blinked once more, shaking his head at the little girl. “No, my name isn’t Yuugi.” He extended a hand towards Emma, raising a brow as he introduced himself. “My name is Yami.”

Emma ignored the offered hand, tears springing from her large, innocent eyes. She began to cry fitfully. Mai sighed, leaning her daughter’s head against her shoulder as she apologized to Yuugi and Yami both.

“I’m sorry about this, she’s just a big fan of you, Yuugi and uh… I guess now Yami.” She turned to leave with her daughter in tow, only to have Yuugi halt her in mid-step.

He walked towards Mai, holding out the Dark Magician Girl card, smiling despite his fear of Yami being present.

“Here, you forgot her Dark Magician Girl card.”

“How much do you want for it, Yuugi?”

It was his turn to shake his head. He smiled, giving Mai the card.

“No charge. Consider it a gift for my biggest fan.” He said, gesturing towards the crying Emma.

She gave her thanks, leaving the game shop moments later, leaving the yami and hikari alone.

Yuugi shuffled away from Yami, tension filling the small area of the game shop. He returned to his spot behind the counter, hoping that his darkness would leave without a word. However, it was not going to be that easy.

Yami sighed heavily, stepping up towards the counter. He raised a brow from beneath his glasses. He crossed his arms over his chest, awaiting a word from Yuugi.

Yuugi attempted to ignore him, barely able to as their bond began to tug deep within his chest, reminding him that they were near one another.

The darkness must have felt it too as he placed a hand on the display case, gazing at his hikari with a sad smile.

“Hikari, after all this time, you don’t have the decency to speak with your other half?”

Yuugi’s eyes narrowed from behind his glasses. It didn’t help that his head was pounding or the huge writer’s block that he was suffering from. The added annoyance of his other self’s words brought out what little fight he held now.

“Don’t call me your hikari. I’m not your light nor will I ever address you as my other half EVER again.” His heart ached at the words falling from his mouth. He knew how wrong this was.

Yami merely flinched once, nodding his head. He uncrossed his arms, resting them onto his thin hips. He spoke softly, hoping to placate Yuugi for the moment.

“Alright, if that is how it suits you, Yuugi.” He paused, eyes tired and half-lidded as he continued. “How are you still mad at me after all these years? I figured you had moved on with your life and would have forgiven me by now.”

At these words, Yuugi slammed the top of his laptop down, eyes blazing in fury. He felt his heart ache once more as anger took form, leaving all other emotions in hell.

“Oh I’ve moved on, Yami. I’ve had relationships, hell I’ve been engaged at one point! I haven’t felt the same since I left Domino five years ago. I haven’t been myself since then either.” He gestured towards his altered appearance. “You rejected me, which in turn means that you don’t have a right to call me your damned hikari! Get out of here!” Tears streamed down his pale, sunken face as he grabbed his laptop, trudging into the adjoined house, leaving Yami alone.

The darkness merely stood there, almost in tears himself. He didn’t realize that Yuugi had been so heart broken. Hell, to know that his other half had been in other relationships even engaged? His jealousy flared as he fought an onslaught of tears. Struggling with his emotions wasn’t easy. After all, he couldn’t stand seeing Yuugi upset.

Silently he walked out of the game shop, dead set on figuring out what he needed to do in order to gain his hikari back.

- - - - - - - -

Jou sighed, walking along side Sugoroku. He held a few bags for the aged man. They had run into each other not long after Yuugi was forced into the game shop. Both men took it upon themselves to discuss their thoughts upon Yuugi’s current state.

Jou shifted the bags in his arms, eyes narrowed in deep thought. Sugoroku noticed this, pausing a moment or so to walk into the game shop.

“What happened with him this morning, Jou?”

The blond blinked, losing his train of thought. He gazed down at Yuugi’s grandfather, sighing heavily.

“He got mad at me because I told him he needed to talk to his other half. He got all defensive an kicked me out.”

The elder man nodded eyes vacant for the moment. He scratched behind his ear, groaning.

“He can’t get over the way Yami rejected him all those years ago. That is all this is, Jou. He turns to other methods of dealing with his problems as you’ve seen with his constant drinking and this novel of his.”

There was more to it than that, Sugoroku knew. He didn’t want to upset Jou further with his thoughts. He knew that Yuugi was losing his sanity every day. The separation between a light and darkness wasn’t normal. The sanity between the two would become severed if they were ever away from the other longer than necessary.

Opening the door to the shop, he shook his head and hoped that everything would work out in the end. After all, Yuugi was his only relative left. He didn’t want to lose his grandson to insanity that was easily fixable.

Jou broke the older man’s reverie with a disgruntled sigh. He walked in after the man, setting the groceries on the counter.

The game shop was empty, closed down despite the usual hours of operation. Jou found this fishy as he gazed around the shop, finding little information to process. He turned his attention towards Sugoroku.

“Gramps, what do ya think happened to Yuge’?”

The elder man groaned as he walked into the adjoined house, gazing at the conditions surrounding the area. He held up an empty beer bottle shaking his head as he turned towards the blond.

“I think he decided to nurse his hangover and start working on that crazed novel again,” he replied, showing the blond the empty beer bottle. This wasn’t normal for Yuugi’s behavior. All he asked him to do was watch the shop until he returned. Now, he returned and apparently, he hadn’t worked that long after all.

“Jou, this isn’t normal for Yuugi. I don’t feel as if I know him anymore…”

The blond nodded, setting a hand on the smaller man’s shoulder. He took the bottle from him and threw it in the nearby trashcan.

“I’m gonna find out what happened, gramps. I’ll get to the bottom of things right here and now.”

He marched up the stairs, eyes narrowed. He was going to finish this here and now. He would change Yuugi’s attitude if it were the last thing he did.

- - - - - - - - -

Yuugi typed away furiously on his laptop, music blaring into his ears. He had been receiving phone calls for the past few hours from his friends back in California and didn’t wish to deal with them at the time. Also feeling bitter about his words with his other half, he decided to invest in another round of beer and music in order to get his creative juices flowing.

However, even with the alcohol buzzing through his system and the music blaring through his ears, he couldn’t distract himself from the painful ache deep within his chest.

He pulled away from his laptop, eyes closed in agitation. His heart ached badly with the separation from his other half. Even as stubborn as he is, he wouldn’t admit how much he missed Yami. No matter the pain or the rejection he faced, there wasn’t anything that the dark side could do in order to gain his trust again.

Sighing, Yuugi ran a hand through his disheveled hair, eyes still closed behind his glasses. He needed to rethink things. There were many issues with his sanity that needed dealing. After his departure five years ago, he had grown and matured in many ways.

Not long after he left in such a haste, he had taken to finding methods of forgetting his life in Domino. He took this to the extreme. It started with a bout of depression and insanity that caused him to get his appearance altered to a T. He wanted nothing to do with Yami or anyone else in his life.

From chopping off his infamous tricolor hair to dying it, black. Yuugi defined himself as another person while living away from home. He was no longer Duel Monster’s second best player. He became a studious student of English and a womanizer. His life wasn’t thrilling other than the nights spent out drinking and meeting random women or men.

He knew that with his return to Domino that his life was changing once again. Everyone expected him to be the same Yuugi Mutou from years ago. Yet, he wasn’t the same person as five years prior. He wasn’t a whole person. If anything, he was hollow and depressed. Life meant little without being complete. He wanted the one thing he couldn’t have.

He wanted Yami.

Yuugi felt a twinge of regret for the way he spoke to his darkness not long ago. The man startled him with his sudden appearance. He wasn’t sure why he suddenly returned in his life. Hell, for all Yami knew, he was still living happily in California.

Shaking his head once more, Yuugi turned his Zune’s volume level up a notch and sunk himself into the world of his romance novel. Leaving reality was the easiest and most pleasant escape he would endure.

- - - - - - -

Jou banged on Yuugi’s bedroom door countless times. His fists were becoming sore after the five thousandth time they came in contact with the barrier.

‘What the hell is he doing in there?’ Jou thought, annoyed with his friend’s silent treatment.

‘He’s probably passed out on his bed with the door locked.’

Once more, he pounded onto the door, surprised to find that it opened on its own accord.

Blinking in astonishment, Jou gazed into the room, finding Yuugi standing by the door, eyes hidden behind his glasses and black bangs.

Curiously, he stepped forward, clearing his throat.

“Yuge’?”

The man nodded in response, motioning for the blond to enter his sanctuary. He turned without a word, returning to the confines of his room.

Jou entered cautiously, finding himself sitting at his usual space on the bed. Making himself comfortable, he gazed at his friend expectantly.

“Are you going to talk to me?”

Yuugi glanced up from his spot at his desk, nodding slightly.

“Jou, I’ve been thinking long and hard since the moment I forced you out of my room earlier today. I’ve come to realize that I’m not the same person I used to be.” Yuugi managed to speak, voice choking on hoarseness.

The blond cocked his head to the side, confused at his friend’s words.

“What do you mean, Yuge’?”

The exhausted man sighed heavily, turning away from his laptop once again. He took off his glasses, revealing bloodshot amethyst eyes.

“I’m not the same Yuugi anymore.” He gestured towards his eyes, smiling sadly. “My eyes no longer hold any form of happiness. I don’t look forward to my days any longer. The only things I can look forward to are Bud Light and this damned novel.” He crossed his arms across his chest. “I hate Duel Monsters, friendship, and Yami!”

Jou merely gazed at his friend, nodding fearfully at the teen’s acknowledgements. He knew that Yuugi wasn’t the same version of himself they had seen in years. Their Yuugi no longer existed. There was only this hardened Yuugi with an addiction to alcohol and writing a crazed romance novel.

“Yuugi, I’m not asking you to change. I know that you’ve grown up and suffer from problems with Yami. I just want to see ya happy. I haven’t seen you in over five years. You barely talk to me anymore. I miss my best friend.”

Amethyst eyes closed, tears threatening to fall. Yuugi was losing everything once again. He couldn’t handle losing his darkness in the past and wasn’t able to openly speak of his pain with anyone other than his grandfather. Now, he felt pain coursing through his small body. The mere thought of his own best friend asking for his happiness wasn’t much. All Yuugi wanted to do was smile and fake his happiness just as he had in his final year of high school.

“Jou, I’m losing touch with reality. The longer I’m away from Yami the closer I am to falling into the darkness of my now dark soul. I can’t become me unless he is with me again.”

“What do you mean, Yuugi? I thought you didn’t want to see him.”

Yuugi frowned, eyebrows furrowed.

“It’s a mix of many things Jou. I didn’t want to leave Yami five years ago. He left me.” He paused, choking back a cry. “Yami rejected me when I told him how I felt about him and told me to go off to California for college. He figured I needed the space and the chance to find someone who ACTUALLY liked me.”

Before Jou was able to speak, Yuugi’s resolve crumbled in its defenses. The pain bottled up in his fragile mind and body fell as the dam released the waterworks. Everything fell into place for Jou.

He didn’t speak as he pulled Yuugi into a brotherly hug, hushing his friend’s crying. He let Yuugi go as the teen wiped at his face furiously, a blush marring his face.

“I’m sorry Jou… I shouldn’t have lost it like that… I just… I never stopped….”

“It’s alright, Yuugi. I had a feeling that he did something to make you miserable, but now. Now, I have a reason and way to make things right for you again.”

The blond stood up, holding his thumb in the air as he spoke softly. “I will do all I can to get you and Yami back in good graces, Yuugi. You have my word on that.”

Yuugi smiled despite his tears, gazing at his friend fondly.

“Thanks, Jou. Nevertheless, I don’t think it will be simple. I’ll figure out a way to handle this.”

“No! You’re my best friend and I’m going to make things right!”

Yuugi didn’t try to reason with his friend. He was just as stubborn as Yuugi. Both men were set in their own ways. Neither would give up if they were arguing even with fence posts.

Jou nodded to Yuugi saying that he was going to see Seto about getting some information or something along those lines. Even though he knew, it was merely an excuse to see his beloved ‘Money Bags.’

Jou walked down the stairs, grinning ear-to-ear. Sugoroku raised a brow at the happy man, curious as to his sudden happiness.

“Jou, what’s going on?”

“I talked to Yuugi and found out some of his issues. I think I can help him out.”

Sugoroku blinked as Jou walked out of the game shop, head held up high. He knew what the man was referring to but didn’t wish to interfere further.

Shaking his head, he returned to stocking his shop, a smile taking form on his aging face.

At least Yuugi would be smiling soon.

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To be continued...