The dark streets seemed empty as he walked through them his feet shuffled across the broken roads the once clean city he knew as his home was nothing more than a waste land of forgotten memories and broken people. He didn't dare to look up from the ground, not really wanting to see any of the stares he was getting knowing some people knew him, while other's whispered and tried to figure out if it was him, or if it was just some look alike though he didn't know who would be stupid enough to try to take his appearance, he couldn't even think of anyone who would have wanted it except for maybe his once apon a time title of "king of games" a sour smile played it's way onto his lips as he looked up at the sky but continued his walk knowing this path like the back of his hand, how long had it beem since then? It seemed like forever, when he and his friend had saved the world countless times, when he had finished the puzzle that held with it one of his best friends and companions. It was hard for the little one to believe it had already been six years but the time was starting to show as he continued on his way back to his grandfather's shop now adays he spent his time going to college and trying to help his grandfather manage his shop, it was hard work sometimes but he would rather do that then see his grandfather get hurt he loved the old man but he had to admit when it came to his work he was stubborn as a mule. He let out a soft sigh before making it to the front door of the shop opening it slowly as he turned the key in the lock and cracked open the door looking around it was dark inside saver a light that came from the living room were yugi was sure he grandfather was sleeping on the couch, he made his way inside kicking off his shoes at the entrace as he walked shutting the door with his left foot being too lazy to turn around, letting out another soft sigh as he threw his back pack on the floor next to the coat room and made his way half way past the entrace to the living room stopping only to make sure his granfather was okay. The soft sound of snores came from the other room making him smile again as he made his way further into the house moving his hand to turn on the light in the kitchen and grab some things, pots, pans, and a few wooden spoons along with a spatula. He knew joey would be over soon he normally would visit and more times than not spend the night hew knew how much joey didn't really like staying in that dorm. Which was something yugi skipped out on to joey's dissapointment. Yugi knew that he was looking forward to it but he couldn't leave his gradfather joey understood as to be expected but thanks to that yugi now pretty much shares his room with joey. He pulled out a cutting board and began to slice the vegtables in front of him that he had reached over and gotten out from the fridge yugi had to admit he was still slightly short for his age but he had grown maybe he had just been too busy with everything to really notice what joey and the other's were talking about. Another sour smile worked it's way onto his face as he moved the slices into the pan putting a little oil ontop of them and listening to the sizzle sound as he filled the pot beside him with water and put it back on the stove waiting for the water to boil, the thought of his friends brough up an ugly fact that he didn't like to remember very much. Tea, the girl who had been his first real friend before he had finished the puzzle, the girl who at one point he had though he liked as more of a friend wanted nothing more to do with the little one, she blamed yugi for atem's leaving. A small pain hit him in the chest as he fought the tears again, he was use to this by now, it really didn't matter how much time passed the wounds were as fresh as ever, like it had just happened yesterday. He grabbed ahold of the counter not paying attention to the food anymore as his mind started to wonder back to that time, back to the time of the duel that desided the fate of his best friend and his secret crush. It supprised yugi at first too to learn he was gay or even bi. Looking back at it now he really wasn't sure why he never said anything maybe it was out of guilt at the time, he knew it was hard enough on atem. At the time he didn't have his memories, honestly yugi knew he loved the man for a long time, since battle city when his puzzle was stolen when marik first appeared to him trying to beat the little one in a duel to win the power of the pharaoh, the fear and pain yugi had felt that day as he watched the puzzle being smashed made him shake his head, trying to get himself back to reality but not winning in his battle, as another flash back from his passed creeped into his mind, when they were on the ship going to the place for the final duel. When yugi had made the choice to be the one to send the pharaoh back to his final resting place, it was a hard choice for him to make but he knew that he he truly did love him, he had to do this. It did hurt, but what was best for atem was what was on the fore front of his mind, which could have explained why he never noticed the scornful way tea would glare at him even during the duel not in front of the other's trying to maintain her innocence as "wanting was is best" for the two, but inside the flames of hate for her once was friend grew and grew with every life point that atem lost, yugi was sure if tea could she would have pushed him infront of a car and killed him after they got home, but honestly he beat himself up so bad about the fact that it seemed to satify her somewhat though she never when a day without telling him it was his fault, without reminding him that she hated him, that they were all scornful at him for making their friend leave. He sighed and moved his bangs out of his face picking up one of the spoons more out of habbit from having to cook for so long, than anything and started to stir the contince of the pan fron side to side before noticing that the water was at a boil. Turning the fire down as he placed the noodles in the pot before grabbing another spoon and stiring them around trying to keep his mind off of the past. He had spoke to joey about everything that tea had been doing, kaiba even which he believed him right away noticing how tea used to look at the pharaoh it made yugi's stomach turn and his eyes burn slightly. As far as yugi was concerned he was the only one allowed to look at atem like that, his eyes widen as his mind spoke what his mouth was too scared to say dropping the spoon supprised by his own thoughs as the spoon hit the floor breaking him out of his thoughs his face red, he had no right to think like that now not when he himself is the one that sent his love away he bend down to get the spoon not noticing joey come up behind him until it was too late joey put his hand on yugi's shoulder causing him to jump and throw the spoon smacking joey in the face. He almost fell forward onto yugi and cause him to hit the pot but instead moved his body weigh more to his left causing him to just fall on his side instead of forward. "Dang it yugi! damn" he flooped around on the floor for a few seconds holding the bridge between his nose were the spoon had hit him as yugi turned around his eyes back to their normal size as he offered his hand to help his friend up trying not to laugh at him knowing it would earn him a noogie. "h-hey that wasn't my fault you know better than to sneak up on me like that when I am trying to cook, you remember last time don't you?" Joey waved his hands in his own defense "okay, okay I know sorry yugi it was to easy i'm sorry" he grined letting a small chuckle escape his lips which made yugi smirk. "Alright, I guess I'll just have to plan with kaiba to get you back for that then" he turned back on his heels turning his attention back to his food leaving his friend to stand their mouth open for a second taking in what yugi had just said. "Y-You wouldn't, come on yugi you know how kaiba is last time I couldn't sleep right for an entire mont." Yugi couldn't help himself he bushed out laughing slapping his hand against the counter a few times in his laughing fits. "Oh haha yes very funny yugi but seriously" Joey shivered remembering what kaiba had done to him and not even wanting to picture what he would do to him again if he did anything. Joey watched yugi as he cooked taking his seat at the small table that yugi had bough for his gradfather, yugi had recalled his granfather saying he wished they could start having suppers together as a family. Yugi had saved a lot back, from helping in the shop so for his grandfather's birthday last year they had secretly bough the table, it would seem to most people as a bad present but to yugi's grandfather it was just right. Joey smiled remembering the smile and the gleam in the old mans eyes as he looked at the table and ran his fingers over the wood, Joey and kaiba had worked together to get the table into the house with yugi, making sure that he didn't see it. He moved his hands behind his head as he closed his eyes listening to yugi hum some kind of song as he continued what he was doing, joey again stolling down memory lane remembering not long after the pharaoh had left remembering what he and kaiba had talked about, apparently unknown to yugi. The pharaoh had one last request for kaiba, to look after yugi for him. Knowing he himself wouldn't be able to atem had gone to kaiba before the duel and had asked kaiba to do this for him, joey had bugged kaiba to tell him all this, to which kaiba almost broke his arm threating to kill him if he ever beathed a word to yugi they both knew how much yugi kicked himself every time anyone even said the other's name, a small sad smile played on his lips he wasn't sure if it was some funny cruel fait or it the gods were just being plain mean, to have two people love each other that had no chance of being together, Joey honestly wished he could tell yugi what atem had told kaiba he thought at some points that maybe it would help yugi, maybe he would stop saying it was his fault that atem left, when joey and everyone for that matter knew it wasn't it wasn't. It was another hour before yugi was done cooking before he went to get his grandfather, Joey pulled out the chair for the old man and yugi helped him sit down as he made everyone a plate and they all sat down to eat enjoying the laughter and the conversation. "okay so that is what happened?" asked joey as he looked at yugi "Yep, that's what hapepned" he replied "what happened to him then did they ever say?" his grandfather asked to which yugi looked over. "I'm not sure there are a lot of different stroies going around school someone just found him passed out with a wound in his sholder but no one is really sure what happened all they know for sure is he is in acoma and they had to go through every student in the school to get information about him, according to our english teacher, he didn't have any family here in japan he is actually from america." his grandfather went quiet for a minute not wanting to say what was really on his mind, in all good honesty he was hoping all this strange stuff would stop happening once the item's were going but, he wasn't even sure if this was related but it didn't seem like your every day crime he watched as his grandson and Joey took the dishes and continued talking. "Well I think me and joey are going to go ahead and head up to the room are you going to be alright grandpa?" yugi asked it took him a minute to respond with a smile and a nod which yugi seemed happy with as he and Joey made their way up to his room leaving his grandfather to go back into the livingroom back to his shows with a lot on his mind he wasn't sure he would sleep tonight but he was sure of one thing if anything did happene to his grandson he would be sure to kick the "pharaoh" In his butt when he joined the other on the other side. The thought made the old man chuckle in amusment.
In Yugi's room:
Joey and yugi were changing and chatting away about the events at school until about midnight when they figured it would be a good idea to head to bed, it was dark in the room the only sound coming from a new fan yugi's grandfather had got him and the sounds of joey snoring in the other bed on the seperate side of the room there had been some changes done to yugi's room in the past six years, his grandfather had saved up the money to expand the shop which mad made room to build onto yugi's room making it wide enough to almost be the size of the livinroom if not a bit wider. His grandfather had figured yugi would need the room considering Joey practically lived over there when he wasn't messing with kaiba for some odd reason or another, the dark gave yugi a small peace for some reason it made him feel a little safe, when normally it would creep him out to no extent but tonight it seemed different like there was somthing that made him feel safe, feel at peace which caused a small smile to crack across the young mans face, he couldn't honestly remember the last time he felt this at peace, this calm. It would have had to be when atem was still around, he moved the covers off himself slightly exposing his arms his eyes getting heavy with sleep as he rested his head more against the pillow nuzzling it slightly as he moved onto his side facing the wall. He loved his friend to death but joey snores so loud yugi would swear if he was sleeping next to the curtains he would suck them in and not be able to breath. Grabbing the pillow with one hand to keep it close like he was hugging it yugi began to give iinto his need for sleep letting a few passing thoughts out before he driffted off into sleep, thinking about the past, thining about atem, and if he had made the right choice. Wondering if his secret crush was happy were he was and safe. "I miss you.." the words left his mouth without yugi even realizing it already fast asleep his face burried into the pillow as his words sank into the darkness of the night.
