We build and then we break

We build and then we break

Thanks for all the reviews! This is the last of what I have written for this story at the moment. I'm going out of town for the weekend and will return Monday. I hope to have an update written while I'm away and will post it when I return since there isn't any internet access where I'm going.


Chapter Five

- - - - - - - - -

Yuugi ran out of the restaurant in a blur, ignoring everything around him. His senses were dulled by the warmth sensation from the alcohol he consumed. He had fought with his emotions and knowledge of what was right and wrong. Forgiving Yami for what he had done five years before was wrong. Kissing the damned man was wrong but felt oh so right.

He hadn’t driven there which was a plus. He could make it home and dodge Yami if the man decided to stalk him. His body pulsed with the effects of adrenaline and alcohol. He didn’t know what had overcome his senses with Yami next to him. The man radiated lust and sexiness. He knew this after years of knowing him and sharing a body.

However, there were many things that made him different from the man who hated him. He wasn’t the same Yuugi Mutou anymore. Having just celebrating his twenty-third birthday, he hoped to have become even less like his former self. Yet, there were the undeniable feelings he still held for certain things that made him just like his teenaged self.

Duel Monsters held little interest anymore just as games held little interest to him at all. Anything that reminded him of Yami had to go once he left for California. In a crazed haze of depression and anger, he chopped off his trademark locks of spiky tricolor hair and dyed it the unassuming black. It helped keep crowds from him, wishing to have an autograph or to take pictures. Hi sanity began to slip even more as the years passed. He turned to alcohol in order to dull his pain and had even taken to having random flings with people from his college just to keep busy. Losing his virtue wasn’t easy. He felt guilty for doing it in a random act with a girl from his college during a drunken time spent partying.

Yuugi shook his head, tears fighting to fall down his small face. He ran a hand through his hair, continuing his trek to the game shop.

He missed his life the way it had been. Losing Yami had been the worst experience his heart had ever suffered. Even though the whole ordeal with Yami was partially Yuugi’s fault, it seemed that neither of them could handle a relationship.

- - - - - -

Yami ran out of the building, running at a blinding speed despite his drunken state. He attempted to trace the path that Yuugi headed down. He wanted some answers to why the man had run from such a breathtaking kiss.

He had initiated the kiss between them only seconds after Yuugi’s glazed over expression. The man apparently believed that he hated him. It wasn’t true at all. The past was the past and he wished that Yuugi would let go and move forward. Both of them had made their fair share of mistakes. Hell, he knew he had. Dating Akefia wasn’t the best decision he had made. He shuddered at the thought, turning his mind towards the location of Yuugi.

Sighing heavily, he started running down the sidewalks, gazing down at random passersby. He attempted to seek out the small form of his partner, finding himself at a loss.

“Damn it! Where the hell are you?” He muttered to himself, continuing his trek down the street. Moments later, he came to a halt finding him outside of the game shop, spying the annoyed form of Yuugi.

He stepped forward, finding Yuugi sitting on the curb, gazing at the streetlights. The man had his knees drawn to his chest, arms wrapped around them. He appeared at ease, simply enjoying the warmth of the summer night.

Yami’s shadow cast over Yuugi’s line of vision, signaling the presence of his darkness.

“Why are you here?” Yuugi asked, pulling his glasses off carefully. He cleaned the lenses with the hem of his shirt, never meeting the once pharaoh’s gaze.

Yami didn’t like this. He stepped in front of his light and raised a brow in question.

“Why did you run away?”

Yuugi placed his glasses in his shirt pocket, taking in a breath as he spoke softly in a controlled voice.

“Because, nothing can change or happen between us, Yami. We’re not the same people we used to be.” I know that things are forever screwed up between us.”

A frown crossed Yami’s features as he replied, “Yuugi… What do you mean that things are screwed up between us? We can mend the problems….”

The smaller of the two shook his head, fighting tears as he held a hand to his heart. “I can’t take much more, Yami. I feel my sanity slipping everyday. I’ve lost the will to do anything anymore. It’s my fault that you hate me, I know it.”

Crimson eyes gazed down at the petite man, concern flooding through the narrowed vision of the darkness.

“Yuugi…You’re the one who left me… You’re the one who decided to go off to college in California. I didn’t’ argue it anymore because I knew you needed the chance to broaden your horizons alone.”

“You don’t know anything at all do you?”

Hurt flashed across the once pharaoh’s face. “What the hell do you mean, by that?”

Yuugi stood defiantly, arms crossed over his chest. He glared at his other half, screaming his lungs out. “You are the one who wanted to move out in the first place. You wanted to do your own things and make a life for yourself in the twenty-first century. I let you do that… despite how much it hurt…. I figured you wanted to stay here and enjoy life…. I thought you cared about us….”

Yami didn’t speak for a moment. He started seeing the realization of Yuugi’s thoughts of the past five years unraveling before his very eyes. He had won the ceremonial duel five years between himself and Yuugi, allowing him the chance to relive his life in Domino with Yuugi and his friends. He fought his hardest in order to win. He wanted to stay with his light.

“What are you saying, Yuugi? Are you implying that I didn’t care about you?”

Yuugi growled under his breath and nodded, fighting off an onslaught of tears. “Yes! For the love of all that’s holy! That is exactly what this is about! You left me, and openly rejected me when I told you how I felt about you!”

Yuugi stalked off towards the front door of the game shop, banging on the door. He had forgotten his key and didn’t have his cell phone either. Annoyed he continued to bang on it hoping that his grandfather would open it soon.

Yami stood and observed Yuugi’s scene, rolling his eyes, taking out his own set of keys. He walked up behind Yuugi and gently pushed him aside, inserting the key into the lock.

Moments later, the door swung open, allowing entrance for Yuugi.

However, the man found himself confused and angered by Yami’s intrusion. “You have a key to my home?!”

The man nodded in response, placing the keys back into his pocket. “Yes, it’s the same key you gave me when I moved out. You told me I was always welcome whenever I wanted. Grandpa allowed the same notion for me. He cares about me just as much as he does you since we’re two halves of one soul…”

“Whatever…” Yuugi took hold of the doorknob, gripping it tightly. His anger would burst soon if the dark half of his soul didn’t leave.

“If you truly knew, Yuugi… I left only because I heard you were going to abandon me in the first place for college in California. I figured parting ways early wouldn’t make it SO hard for you to leave in the first place. Rejection works two ways, little one. If only you knew why I rejected you in the first place…”

With that said, he turned and started to walk off, turning towards Yuugi once more.

“It takes two to start a relationship and one to mend a broken heart.”

He walked off, leaving Yuugi alone to take in the final statement.

Yuugi grunted as tears began to fall down his face, anger and sadness mixing together as he walked into the game shop, slamming the door shut instantly.

There was much more to their issues than this, yet he wasn’t ready himself to deal with the consequences.

“I need some beer.”

He walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge, finding beer easily. He frowned a bit upon seeing a different brand of the amber liquid. Shrugging, he took a few bottles of Miller Lite upstairs with a mission set in place.

Maybe he could work on his novel and drink away the pain he currently felt. After all, the one person whom he loved had just openly rejected him once again.

- - - - - - - - -

Sunlight poured into the window of a bedroom, causing Akefia to growl. He shielded his eyes from the beaming rays of light, his hair falling into his face.

“Damn it, get it sun!” He swatted at it in his hung over state. He hadn’t gotten much sleep due to the night he had with his “land lord.”

Ryou stirred next to him, rolling his eyes at the elder man. “What the hell, Ake’? Why are you bitching this early in the morning?” The white-haired man sat up, stretching his arm and back, yawning.

Akefia glared at his lover, twitching slightly at the nickname. He also stretched the kinks out of his body. He growled, yawning in reaction to the younger.

“Don’t call me that.”

Ryou didn’t take this well, he pouted and hit the man in the shoulder. “If you call me your land lord and fucking rabbit… Then you are Ake’ get used to it.”

The light of the king of thieves had grown some backbone since the past couple of years. Dealing with Akefia meant that there were a lot of thefts and drunken problems. He dealt well with the man once he put him in his place. It seemed that Yuugi had also lightened up the former thief. The duo had hung out in secret once the pharaoh’s light decided to move out and attend college in California. Although he couldn’t fathom a reason to see what Yuugi saw in the man’s friendship, he figured it had to do with revenge against Yami.

Pulling himself out of the bed, Ryou pulled on some clothes and headed out of the room in search of coffee. He and Akefia functioned only after having a ton of caffeine. Stepping into the living room, Ryou found himself only moments away from stepping over a passed out, Yami.

Carefully, he stepped over him, walking into the kitchen. He began to brew some coffee, thinking about what had happened last night. Ryou felt badly for Yami. He had seen the pain that the man went through whenever Yuugi left. He hadn’t ever seen the former pharaoh lose control and start binge drinking in his life. Hell, he hadn’t ever seen someone who could outdo Akefia on drinking.

Sighing lightly, the thief’s light noticed a twitch of crimson eyes. He raised a brow at Yami, concerned.

“Are you alright, Yami?”

The former pharaoh groaned, pulling himself into a sitting position. He ran a hand down the back of his neck, massaging his aching muscles. He shook his head at the younger man’s question, groaning as sunlight poured into the living room.

“No, Hathor be damned… I haven’t felt this shitty since he left me in the first place…”

“Would you like some coffee?”

“No, it’s alright. I’ll get some at the restaurant. I have to work this afternoon.” He groaned, pulling himself up. He felt dizzy, the room spinning. He had a horrible hang over.

Ryou shook his head at Yami, pouring himself a cup of coffee. “No you don’t.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m covering for you this afternoon. I figured you could use the day off. You work too hard, as it is…”

Yami collapsed onto the couch, sighing in relief. “You don’t know how relieved I feel right now. Thank you, Ry.”

“You’re welcome.” He yawned and walked out of the kitchen, two cups of coffee in hand.

He headed back to Akefia’s bedroom, relieved that Yami would enjoy a rare day off. He wanted to see Yami and Yuugi rekindle their former relationship, even if it meant just friendship.

- - - - - - -

Jou sat idly in the game shop with Sugoroku, holding a hand of playing cards. He studied his hand carefully, gazing at the elder man with a smirk.

“Do you have any threes?”

“No, go fish.”

The blond frowned, drawing a card from the deck. It was a slow afternoon and Yuugi still hadn’t risen from his room. Hoping to catch Yuugi for the day, Jou found himself assisting Sugoroku with boredom.

“What is he doing up there?” Jou asked, setting down a pair of threes.

Sugoroku shrugged his shoulders a bit and sighed heavily. “He nursed his anger last night with my Miller Lite. He’ll probably keep himself immersed in his novel or something for the day.”

Jou raised a brow. “Since when do you drink?”

“I always keep some beer in the fridge when I’m feeling daring. But now, I’ll have to replenish it with something he hates.”

Jou smiled at the old man’s joke. “Hmm, he’s not a fan of Heineken or any of those girly wine coolers.”

“Heineken it is then.” He paused, gazing at Jou with a grin. “Do you have any fives?”

“Damn it! How the hell do you do that, Gramps?” He handed over his two fives.

“Practice… Of course…”

“Well you’re too good at this game, Gramps.” Jou kept going, asking for some more cards ending up needing to go fish.

“Did you ever hear from Yami yesterday? I’m worried about him.”

Jou ran a hand through his blond locks, shaking his head annoyed.

“No, he didn’t have his phone last night. I couldn’t get a hold of Yuugi either. I don’t know what went down last night. All I know is that he needs to get his ass up so we can go the movies.”

“Jou there is more to the problems that occurred last night then you know.” He set down his set of fives and continued. “Yuugi and Yami had a confrontation last night.”

“How do you know this?”

Sugoroku smiled guiltily. “I was waiting for Yuugi to get home, but apparently I fell asleep in my chair. But then I heard yelling and Yuugi banging up the stairs with my beer.”

Jou leaned against the glass counter, brows knitted in confusion. “He and Yami got into a fight of some sort?”

“I guess so. I heard something along the lines of Yami explaining why he rejected Yuugi in the past.”

“Wait what?”

Sugoroku sighed and shook his head, setting his playing cards to the side. “It’s not my place to tell you, Jou. Yuugi will tell you when he’s ready.”

The blond nodded, feeling sad for his friend. Apparently the once pharaoh needed his ass kicked for upsetting Yuugi. He needed to straighten up the issues despite his lack of knowledge. He missed his best friend.

- - - - - -

To be continued…