Room 326

“Are you all right?”

He looks up, and nods. It isn’t quite true, but…

Jounouchi wraps his arms around him. A comforting hug…
“Be straight with me. I know you’re not all right. You don’t really need to pretend.”

He sighs. “I keep thinking about him…”

The arms are warm. “I know you do. I knew you would –
probably will forever. He was your hikari, after all. I don’t think I’ll ever
forget Yuug… it’s not like you, but still.”

He nods. “You were his best friend. He wouldn’t want
you to forget him.”

Jounouchi’s smile brightens the room… even though it’s
sad. “Yeah… but, no, you were his best friend. I don’t ever want to forget him,
but you can’t. It must be really hard…”

Sigh again. He closes his eyes and rests against
that strong body. So warm… like Aibou’s missing Light…

A long moment of silence, but warm, comfortable
silence, not cold and hard like so many since Aibou was taken… by that bastard!
Egomaniacal bastard! Losing his brother is not enough punishment for such a
heinous crime! He stole my Aibou! He’ll burn in every level of hell he believes
in, face a thousand punishments too kind! The blue-eyed devil who stole Yuugi
from me…

“Yami?” He looks up. “Hey, man, are you okay?”

“Of course… why wouldn’t…” Oh… of course. “I mean,
what makes you think I’m not?”

“You just got all tense there for a minute.” Such a
kind, understanding voice… “What were you thinking about?”

The sneer can’t be repressed. “Kaiba…”

“Hey.” Another warm, reassuring squeeze, completely
platonic but right all the same. “You still blame him?”

Blame? Blame? No, not blame… I curse him for it! He
will burn, he will die and meet his punishment! No one separates me from Aibou!

The voice is colder than it should be. “You don’t?”

There’s a shrug. “I don’t know. Even if it was his
experiment that blew up… It was just an accident. And, I know he’s an ass, but
even I can’t blame him too badly… he lost Mokuba, after all… We all know how
much he loved that kid.”

Impossible! He is taking the monster’s side! He
pities the one who took Yuugi… Aibou… he can’t blame him? For his carelessness?
Incompetence? For what he did? For killing my Light?

“Did you see how he was burned, though? Only on one
side, and in the back too. It doesn’t look like that’s what it was.”

Yami pushes away from the blond, shakes his head. “I
can’t believe you…”

“Yami…”

“No. You pity that monster…”

Now he sighs. “Yeah, a little. And Yuugi would too.
He wouldn’t blame him – he’d be the first to forgive him. He’d know it wasn’t
his fault, know that he’s hurting as much as anyone else – maybe more.”

Crimson eyes just stare. He is like Yuugi… My
Light is here in him still… because he’s right. Right about what Aibou would
say. Aibou wouldn’t let me hate him…

“You’re right…” He sighs and leans back into his
embrace.

But it’s still good to blame him. To blame… someone.
Anyone. Aibou can’t have died at random…

Jounouchi’s arms wrap around him, and it still feels
right, and warm, and almost like Aibou is here again…

“Yuugi wouldn’t want you to be alone, either,” he
says finally. “He wouldn’t want you to end up like Bakura. Crazy and alone…”

“Don’t you pity Bakura?”

“Course I do…” Sigh. “But… it’s too creepy. You were
right before; they’re both going crazy… I think it’s because they’re alone.
And, I don’t want you to go through that, so… if you need someone… Just know I’m
here, okay?”

Yami sighs, and sits up. The blond looks so cutely
confused, but he wraps his arms around his shoulders and rests their heads
together. Just like Aibou now…

After a short moment, Jounouchi relaxes into it and
smiles. Giving him what he needs. He doesn’t seem to mind.

“Yes, I know.”