The Alternative

Twenty One

A/N: Sorry for the long wait! Moving to Spain has taken up lots of time! Here's another chapter! Comments are wonderful. All my loving!

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 It was a feeling of loneliness. There was no other way to describe it.

When one door closes, another one opens...or so they always say. Unfortunately, the only door opening for Yugi was one that led to solitude.

A part of him knew he could have searched for his friends. Use the idea of finding his loved ones as a symbol of hope to chase the emptiness away.

However, he didn't have to leave his suite to know that everything had changed.

His heart had already made that obvious. And searching is pointless when you know there is nothing to find.

But in the midst of all this confusion and isolation...

Yugi wasn't depressed. He wasn't angry anymore. There was really nothing left for him to feel. Just alone. The only time that need of attention seemed to be satisfied was when he was with Atem.

Not even the warm sheets Yugi cuddled in could make him feel comfort. His thoughts danced so swiftly that he didn't even feel like he was even laying down. It felt similar to watching himself star in a movie and not know where he would end up next. His only choice being to remain utterly concentrated on his mind, or else he would lose sight of who he was.

That's why Yugi didn't budge when an aggressive knock broke the silence. He was much too focused on his train of thought to pay it any mind.

However, the longer the pounding, the more Yugi eased out of his mental reel.

After a moment of hesitation, Yugi rolled slowly out of bed and dragged himself to the door. Lazily he opened it, quickly greeted with an aggressive strut into his room.

"We need to talk."

"Kaiba?" Yugi rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess I'm glad you're here," he shrugged. "It means you haven't disappeared yet," he mumbled under his breath.

"I don't intend to, either," Kaiba spat, clearly have hearing. He marched to the middle of the room and groaned slightly.

"Okay." Yugi raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong?"

Kaiba narrowed his eyebrows angrily, glaring at Yugi. "What the fuck is wrong with your friend?"

"My friend?" Yugi questioned unsure. "Atem?"

"Not that delinquent!" Kaiba gestured. "The other one!"

It took a moment of pondering before Yugi could gather an answer.

"Bakura?"

The CEO snapped his fingers in validation. "That's the one!"

Yugi stared blankly. "What about him?"

"He's a psychopath!" Kaiba groaned, gesturing his hands around.

"Look, I'm sorry for his behavior at times," Yugi sighed, "But he is honestly like a child. The fact I have to apologize for him probably makes that clear."

"No."

"No?"

"I'm not talking about the Bakura who I had the displeasure of spending time with the other night. He I could handle. I'm talking about a whole new type of psychotic."