EMO

While Yugi was surrounded by his friends, Atem sighed and turned toward the door. He didn't belong here. He'd helped Yugi get his friends back and now he was done. He didn't realize Yugi still wanted him around and was surprised when he felt two fragile arms wrap around one of his muscular arms. Looking over his shoulder, his red eyes met with Yugi's violet orbs.

"Yugi-kun?" Atem turned around.

"Please don't leave Atem-chan." Yugi whispered, holding Atem's arm with both his, ignoring the pain in his right wrist.

"You have your friends with you, Yugi-kun. This is not my place." Atem whispered.

"You promised me you'd help me return to my old self!" Yugi cried, wrapping his arms around Atem's waist and burying his face in the nicely built chest.

Atem blushed lightly, placing his hands on the student's shoulder.

"Seems he's attatched to ya, teach." Jou grinned.

The teacher smiled. "I did, didn't I?"

Yugi nodded against his chest, whispering 'yes, you did'. Atem wrapped his arms tightly around Yugi's shoulders and nuzzled his head.

"Alright then... I'll stay with you." Atem whispered. He picked Yugi up in his arms and laid him back down on the bed. "But you have to promise me not to get out of this bed until tomorrow."

"What's happenin' tomorra?" Jou asked.

"He gets to go home tomorrow." Atem replied, emphasizing on 'tomorrow' to correct Jou's grammer.

Yugi smiled and giggled. Hearing this, Atem looked at him slightly surprised. He smiled and stroked Yugi's wet, tear-streaked cheeks.

"You should laugh and smile more often, Yugi-kun." The teacher whispered softly.

Yugi smiled a little more and looked away. "Its thanks to you I am able to smile again. If you hadn't of brought my friends here, I never would've had the guts to talk to them."

"Its the least I could do for my favorite student." Atem smiled.

Yugi blushed and looked down.

"When do ya think you'll be back in school, Yug?" Jou asked.

"Yeah. Its been really boring without you there." Honda said.

"I'm hoping next week." Yugi replied. He yawned slightly, nuzzling his face into Atem's neck.

Anzu felt her heart break slightly at the sight.

"Well... you seem tired, so we'll come back tomorra." Jou said.

"Why don't I take you kids to the park tomorrow?" Atem suggested, emphasizing on 'tomorrow' again.

Yugi smiled. "I'd like that."

"I'll make us a nice picnic!" Anzu exclaimed.

"We'll have fun like we used ta have!" Jou exclaimed.

"It'll be great!" Honda agreed. "Well... now that that's settled... we better go." He turned for the door and walked up to it.

"Bye Yugi. Get some rest." Anzu followed Honda.

"Jou-kun... could you stay with me a little longer?" Yugi asked softly.

Jou smiled. "Course Yug!"

Atem smiled. "I'll take a walk and come back later." He said and kissed Yugi's forehead and left the room.

Once Atem was gone, Jou sat on the edge of Yugi's bed, frowning. He knew something was wrong. "What'sa matter, Yugi?"

Yugi sighed and held Jou's hand. "Jou-kun... I-I... I need your help with something."

"I'm listenin'."

The next day, Atem was waiting outside Yugi's hospital room with Anzu and Honda. Anzu was holding a big basket.

Inside the room, Jou was helping Yugi get dressed, the boy's wrist hurting like a thousand needles had stabbed it.

"Sorry you have to help me with this, Jou-kun." Yugi whispered, blushing softly.

Jou just grinned. "Its no problem, Yug. Yer docta explained the problem wit yer wrist ta me." He soon finished buttoning Yugi's shirt up and stood up. "There ya go, little pal!" He grinned.

"Thanks, Jou." Yugi smiled warmly. There was only one person, so far, that he smiled like this to; and that was his best friend Jou. "We should get going, now."

"Right. I'll carry yer bag fer ya."

Yugi nodded his thanks and walked out of the room. Atem blinked when he saw the bandage on Yugi's wrist.

"What happened?" He asked worriedly.

"Yug' wrist is just givin him trouble. Nothin ta worry 'bout." Jou smiled.

"Good. Lets get going before the park gets too crowded. Its a nice day out, so I suspect there'll be a lot of people there." Atem said, standing off the wall.

Yugi smiled and hugged him. Atem blushed lightly and stroked his hair.

"Thank you, Atem-kun." The student whispered.

"For what?" The teacher whispered back.

"For being here."

The three friends blinked at each other before shrugging and walking toward the elevators. Yugi and Atem soon joined them.

"Hahahahaha!" Yugi laughed as he watched Jou wriggle his butt at Honda, who was on the ground after falling.

The two friends who used to bully Yugi were chasing each other. Anzu sat next to Yugi on the blanket, cutting the cake. Atem was chuckling. It'd been a long time since he hung out with teenagers, he almost felt like one himself.

"Are you having fun, Yugi-kun?" Atem asked.

"Yeah!" Yugi smiled. "I haven't had fun like this in-"

SPLASH! "Ahh!"

The three on the blanket looked to the lake. Honda was soaking wet and Jou was laughing at him, that is until Honda pulled him into the lake.

"Idiots." Anzu muttered, but was giggling.

The two friends laughed. "Come on guys! Join us!"

Anzu stood up and grabbed Yugi's hand. "Come on Yugi! Lets play in the water!"

Yugi let himself be dragged over to the lake. He pounced on Jou's back, laughing and smiling.

Atem smiled and leaned back against the tree watching them. Mahaad had been the only friend that had stayed with him after he tried killing himself. Yugi was truly a lucky boy to have friends like them.

"Sensei!" At the sound of Anzu's voice, Atem opened his eyes and looked at them.

"Come on Atem-kun! Play with us!" Yugi yelled.

'Well... might as well enjoy myself.' Atem thought and stood up. He ran over to them and fell in the water when Yugi glomped him.

He laughed with his student as they both fell into the water.

Later, the five were laying on the grass, drying in the afternoon sun. They all talked softly, pointing out figures in the clouds and making fun of each other on Jou and Honda's part.

Honda and Anzu left while Yugi was napping on the grass, his head on Atem's chest. Atem was running his fingers through Yugi's hair.

"He looks so peaceful." Jou whispered.

"I know. I'm getting tired just watching him." Atem whispered back.

Jou grinned. "Yeah. He does that to people."

"He seemed to be feeling better today."

"Yeah. We need to watch over him though."

Atem blinked at the 'we' part.

"I don't want anything to happen to him again." Jou added.

"Yeah." Atem frowned.

"We need to get him away from Sam."

"Sam?"

"Yugi's so called 'boyfriend'." Jou replied. "I would've thought he'd told you about him."

"... No. He hasn't."

"Well... he deserves better than that jerk."

'He deserves everything in the world.' Atem thought, looking up at the evening sky.

"I don't even think he should go back home, Sensei."

Atem looked at his student. He only called him sensei when he was serious. "He probably shouldn't. But where could he stay?"

"Not my place. My dad would kill him."

"Your father hates Yugi?"

"He hates everyone. Even me."

"I see."

They went silent for a moment, each one trying to think of a place for Yugi to stay.

"Why not your place, teach?"

"My place?"

"Yeah. He seems to feel comfortable and safe when he's with you."

"Hmm. I don't know. I could get in trouble for having a student and a minor staying with me." Atem said.

"But if you get Gramps to tell the principle why he's staying with you, everything should be fine." Jou explained.

"Hmm... it might work." Atem whispered.

Jou suddenly sat up, frowning.

"Whats wrong?"

"Someone's watching us."

"Do you know where they are?"

"No." Jou replied.

"Well... I guess I better take Yugi home then. Why don't you stay with him and protect him from his father... and his self?"

"Will do." Jou nodded and stood up.

Together, the two walked to Yugi's house.

Sugoruko opened the door to Yugi's room.

"Wow... after all dis time and after how much he's changed, his room is the same. He still has Duel Monster posters up and everything." Jou said, grinning.

Atem smiled. He walked over and laid Yugi down on his bed. "I'll let you change him, Jouinchi-san." With that, the teacher left.

Jou sighed and took off his jacket, shoes, socks and pants. He sat on the edge of the bed and began to remove Yugi's clothes down to his boxers. Afterward, he pulled Yugi under the covers with him. Stroking the bangs from Yugi's sleeping face, he smiled.

"Its good to be back wit ya, Yug." He whispered and held his dear friend close.

"Thank you for you help, Atem-sensei. I really apprectiate it." Sugoruko said as he walked with Atem to the door.

"Its the least I could do after I..." The teacher paused there.

"After you...?"

Atem shook his head. "Nothing. Good night Mouto-san." The teacher bowed and left.

Yugi's grandfather watched the teacher walk down the sidewalk. He smiled slightly and walked back into the shop. He closed the shop and went upstairs into the house.

'I'll protect you.'

'I don't need your protection!'

'Yes you do. You're too young to watch over yourself.'

'I'm thirteen!'

'And a minor.'

'Fine. Show me what adults do, then.'

'What do you mean?'

'Fuck me.'

"Mmm." Yugi whimpered softly and cuddled closer to Jou. "Sensei..."

Atem lay in bed, a beer in one hand and a picture in the other. 'I'm getting too attatched.' He thought. 'Ra help me, I may be falling in love.'

The picture in his hand was of Yugi and his mother from five years ago.

'Why does he look so familiar?' The teacher thought as he sipped from the glass bottle. 'As if... I've seen him before... before he came to my class this year. His voice... is so... addicting.' The teacher shook the thoughts out of his head. 'I'm losing my mind.' He scoffed. 'As if I had a mind before?'

He put the now empty bottle of beer in the wastebasket next to his bed and stood up. Running his fingers through his hair, he walked into the bathroom and turned the light on. No school tomorrow, so he decided to take a long bath. Just as he leaned over, the doorbell rang.

"Who the hell?" Atem growled and walked to the front room. He opened the door. "What?"

"Nice to see you too, Atem." Mahaad said, raising an eyebrow.

Atem sighed and beckoned his friend in. "Why're you here so late?"

"I felt something in my gut and decided to check on you." Mahaad replied.

"Well... I was just about to take a bath. Help yourself to some beer if you don't mind waiting."

"Nah... go ahead. I'll just watch some TV. I hear there's a new episode of Ghost Hunters on."

"Ghost Hunters only comes on on Wendsdays."

Mahaad shrugged. "Just go take your bath."

An hour later, Atem came out of the bathroom in thin night pants. He yawned. Mahaad smirked and tilted his head.

"Hey sexy."

Atem rolled his eyes. "Drunk?"

"No. I'm just complementing you." Mahaad smiled.

Atem plopped down on the couch next to him with a deep sigh.

"So... how'd the day go with Yugi and his friends?"

"Hn... fun. I felt like a teenager all over again."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. We even played in the lake." Atem smiled fondly at the memory.

Mahaad chuckled.

"Infact... I still feel like a teenager." Atem whispered seductivly, leaning into Mahaad and nipping his ear.

"Atem.. wait-"

"Shh... You'll ruin the moment." The teacher whispered again, a hand going between Mahaad's legs and rubbing gently.

Mahaad blushed and gripped the neck of his beer bottle tighter. The teasing hand unbuttoned and unzipped his pants and he looked at his friend. Lips met his and he could do nothing but drop the bottle and kiss back. He slowly laid Atem down on the couch, kissing him passionately. He knew what Atem needed. He needed to be comforted. And being Atem's only friend... it was his job to do that.