Authors Note:

Whoot! I finally am taking steps in putting my first ficcy up, it has been in the works now for ages so many apologies. The whole story here stemmed from a separate one I'm writing where Yuugi leaves for Uni and Yami does not take the idea of "abandonment" too lightly.

Disclaimer:

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any other characters from the show and manga, I do however own two characters in an up coming ficcy.

Still Standing.

Chapter 1:- Breaking Point.

Silence is a funny thing, Yuugi Mutou mused. There are times when it is palpable, something you can pick up in cupped hands and let sift through your fingers like sand. There are warning silences, and the sweet silence that comes after prolonged noise. There are awkward silences, and weighty silences. There are silences that simply lack noise, and the silences that are something more profound and more lonely.

This particular instance fell into the latter category. He stared up at the ceiling of his bedroom, sifting through the lonely silence that surrounded him, seeking uselessly for a whisper, an echo of the strong, resounding voice that had once eddied around him. Since he had first assembled the Millennium Puzzle and his bond with Yami began, Yuugi had moved through a world awash in the thoughts and emotions of the Other Him. If he ever thought of being lonely he had only to reach out to know what Yami knew, to feel what he felt.

A loud, shrill, digitalized alarm ripped through the still and quiet bedroom… 'Where had it all gone wrong?'

He reached an arm over to the shrieking alarm clock on his bedside table and batted the offending object into silent submission before blinking slowly. He was exhausted. His limbs felt numb and heavy and useless, he had been awake for hours, simply lying under his duvet lost in his brooding. There had been a suffocatingly tense atmosphere between himself and Yami for a few weeks now, no matter what he attempted, nothing could break the tension; resulting in them both withdrawing deeper into their own states of depression.

"Yuugi… Time to get up." Omocha called.

The words, the sweet alto that gave them voice were just more noise. Yuugi heard them but did not immediately realizes that they were meant for him. It was not until a second shout, less tolerable than the first, sounded did he awaken from his reverie.

"YUUGI MUTOU!! GET UP AND GET READY FOR SCHOOL!"

He blinked wearily and gave a defeated sigh. "Okay, Mom. I'm up." He turned a glance toward the futon at the foot of his bed. He could just make out a pair of exhausted crimson eyes, narrowed at him in the dim light. They were bright in contrast to the dark rings that circled them.

Yuugi couldn't help but flinch under the accusing glare. "Sorry." He said and attempted a small smile. Yami simply snorted at the apology and turned away, his mood already foul, worse than it had been over the past week at it was clear he held Yuugi fully responsible for his gradually worsening temper.

Yuugi scrambled from under the heavy duvet as quickly as his numbed and disobedient limbs would allow. Pulling a crisp and clean uniform from the wardrobe he dressed in silence, despite knowing Yami was awake and in fear that the thickening tension would choke his attempts of conversation.

He sat heavily on his bed, the mattress sagging from the unexpected weight as Yuugi slipped a sock over his foot, he had to shatter the tense silence.

"Are you doing anything today?" he asked quietly

"Sleeping"

Relieved Yami had actually responded, Yuugi sighed a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. "What, all day?" he wiggled his toes within the confines of the sock, trying to straighten the seam.

"Until your mother decides to harass me into getting up…" Yami paused and pulled the duvet under his chin. "I haven't been sleeping well lately…"

Yuugi bit his lip. He knew that. Yami's restlessness at night had been preventing his own sleep.

He hesitated. "Something bothering you?"

Yami hissed in annoyance and pried one exhausted eye open to glare at the teen. Why would he not just let him sleep? His deprived body and mind screamed at him, desperate for the rest they craved.

"I as not aware I had to inform you of everything I do or do not do." He snapped coldly before turning his back on Yuugi.

Yuugi's eyes briefly flashed with hurt, then he huffed in irritation. "Fine!" was all he said. There had once been a time where he would have stubbornly pressed for Yami to talk to him… but not anymore. ami had built up walls to hide behind and he'd be damned if he were to exhaust himself in trying to penetrate them. He turned sharply on his heel and stalked from the bedroom, purposely slamming the door hard behind him.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"Morning, Yuugi." Greeted Sugoroku as the boy reached around his stocky build to snag a slice of toast he had just buttered. "I'm making eggs, you want some?" He chanced a quick look over his shoulder and frowned at his grandsons crestfallen face. "Yuugi…? What's wrong?"

Yuugi shrugged his shoulders stiffly. Flopped heavily into a chair and slumped onto his elbows, his shoulders slouching forward. Dismissing his grandfathers concerns with an unintelligible grunt, he twisted a tiny corner of the toast free and forced it past his lips despite the fact he didn't feel particularly hungry and gazed off into the middle distance.

Sugoroku sighed and switched off the hob. He sat across the dining table from Yuugi, his weathered old face directly in his line of vision. "Why do I get the feeling Yami is involved?"

Yuugi scowled at the old man from under his golden bangs, "Nothing is wrong." He insisted, sounding each word deliberately and slowly. He viciously ripped a large portion from the toast slice in his hand and glared at it, before pushing it into his mouth, knowing it was far too large for him to manage easily.

"You two are fighting a lot lately." Sugoroku said, stirring a heaped spoonful of coffee into a mug of hot water sitting before him as he carefully watched the teens jerky motions. "I'm a little concerned about you."

Yuugi attempted to swallow only to induce a coughing fit, clapping his hand hard against his chest as he forced the mouthful down.

"Really? We're fighting a lot? I hadn't noticed." He snapped, his voice cold and clipped. Yuugi held Sugoroku's gaze for a moment then dropped it sharply, a little embarrassed with his tone toward his grandfather.

"Uh-huh." Sugoroku cocked his eyebrow at the teen over the mug he had lifted to his lips, "Forgive me for being sceptical, but, this is not typical Yuugi Mutou behaviour."

Yuugi groaned and dropped the half eaten slice of toast onto the dining table. He carefully wrapped his arms around himself in a cautious self hug, trying to restore the sense of security that had always been available to him when Yami had resided within the Millennium Puzzle.

"I just… I don't know anymore." He murmured quietly. He sounded so lost… so insecure… it hurt Sugoroku to hear his grandson like this.

"Oh, Yuugi…"

"I'm scared… scared I'm going to lose him… scared he doesn't need me anymore… I don't understand him like I used to… it's driving him away fro-" he paused

Sugoroku had bolted to his feet and stared over his grandson.

Slowly Yuugi turned his head and uttered a tiny fearful squeak.

In the kitchen doorway, stood Yami. His fists so tightly balled that his fingernails bit painfully into his soft palms. Hatred and betrayal burned in his crimson eyes. Dark shadows licked up his arms and spanned his body, surrounding him like an aura… born of his rage… gorging itself upon the dark energies pulsating from him.

He rushed forward, grasping Yuugi,s shoulders before the boy could move out of his path, and wrenched him from his seat in one fluid motion, sending the chair crashing to the floor.

Without pausing, Yami slammed the smaller to the kitchen wall, his fingers curling into talons and burying themselves deep into Yuugi's shoulders. The breath stolen from the teens lungs in a gasp of pain an his ribs gave an agonizing wrench from the impact.

Yami trembled with rage, the crimson of his eyes, dark and stormy with conflicting emotions.

"I don't understand YOU, Yuugi…" he snarled, pushing his face so close to Yuugi's that his nose almost brushed the others. "After all these years… and I still don't understand you!"

There was such a primal savagery in Yami's face, and Yuugi could actually see the gnarling and contortion of the muscles beneath his tanned flesh.

His vice like grip tightened even more so on Yuugi's shoulders, causing hot and stinging tears to spring to his amethyst eyes as he grabbed his others wrists, trying to pry them away. His cries of anguished pain just seemed to enrage Yami further.

Yami felt a strong hand grasp his elbow, swinging his snarling face round lo Sugoroku, who had chosen now to intervene, trying in vain to defend his grandson.

"Yami! Let him go!"

He was answered with only a snarl as Yami's rage almost completely consumed all traces of humanity within him.

Yuugi wanted to call out to Sugoroku, to warn him away from Yami. But his chest hurt. He could barely drag in enough air with each ragged breath to cool the burning sensation in his lungs before he was forced to dispel it in the form of painful cries as he was repeatedly slammed against the wall while Yami shook his arm free of Sugoroku's grasp.

Slowly the old man stepped back.

Yami refocused his attention back on Yuugi once he felt sure Sugoroku had reached a suitable distance, his eyes blazing. "Why do you still keep yourself a mystery to me? You are MY aibou! You shouldn't be able to do this! Not to me!"

Yuugi could feel his chest tightening, constricting him with each shuddering breath. He had to make Yami let go and it had to be now!

He flinched as Yami's clawed fingers bit deeper still into his shoulders, thumbs digging into his collarbone, with a final cry of pain and defiance, he exhausted his remaining oxygen.

"Maybe then… maybe we're not the others other! Maybe everything we've been through together was a lie…!"

Yami flinched, his grip on Yuugi broken as he shook his head slowly in disbelief and stepped backwards, "No…" he whispered, watching as the teen slid slowly to his knees, coughing and gasping for air.

Could he be right…? No! That couldn't be true!

Yami scowled down at Yuugi, grabbing the boy's shirt front and dragged him back onto his unsteady feet. Releasing his hold, Yami placed his hands on the kitchen wall, either side of Yuugi's shuddering shoulders.

Yuugi tilted his head forwards so his face was hidden, shielded by his golden bangs, protected from Yami's frigid glare.

"Is that what you truly believe, 'Little One'?" he growled.

Yuugi flinched. Yami used to call him that in affectionate teasing about his height, but the hostility in Yami's voice shattered that illusion, there was nothing but malice in his voice, and it hurt.

"I… I don't know…" Yuugi said quietly. "I'm beginning to…"

"Aibou -"

Yuugi snapped his head up and fixed his other self with as cold a glare as he could manage. "Don't YOU call me that! Don't you dare!" he snarled in a fashion that was more Yami than Yuugi. "You have no right to use that word right now!"

"The Hell I don't." Yami roared, his temper flaring once again. "You are my aibou! YOU belong to ME!"

Yuugi's eyes widened in disbelief and anger. "You can't just claim ownership of me!"

"I damn well can!"

"No! You can't-"

"Really? Looks to me, I just did." Yami smirked. "And I can't see anyone disputing it either 'aibou'." He stepped back, folding his arms across his chest and a look of triumph on his face.

Yuugi scowled at the once powerful Pharaoh, an uncomfortably familiar feeling of anger rose in his chest. How dare he act like he had won. How dare he stake a claim on him like he were a pet.

How dare he be so damned arrogant all the damned time!

"I… AM… NOT… YOUR… DAMNED… AIBOU!!"

Yami blinked in surprise, he lost his smug smirk and arrogant stance. He narrowed his eyes and cocked his head to one side as Yuugi invaded his personal space.

"Aibou…?" he questioned.

"STOP… CALLING… ME… THAT!!" he jabbed a finger into Yami's shoulder, punctuating each word he spat with a sharp stab of pain. "I am not your aibou," Yuugi continued, blinking back the unshed tears that glistened and threatened to spill from his amethyst eyes. "I am not your partner! I am not your pal! I am not your Other Self! I am just me. Pathetic little Yuugi – kun. And nothing will ever change that!"

The two almost identical boys just stared at each other, Yami; frozen in shock, and Yuugi panting a little, drained from the emotional strain and outburst. He suddenly moved, pushing past Yami, who stood dumbfounded in his path, with a force that knocked him back a few steps. He shoved his feet roughly into his old, worn out sneakers, grabbed up his book bag and stormed out of the house. Leaving a bewildered and confused Yami in his wake.

Damn that was exhausting, but I'm glad that's chapter one done.

Oh BTW the whole reason of Yami acting this way is because Yuugi is in his final Year of high school and he's going to be moving out to go to University in my next fic, and Yami doesn't like change. I mean he's been through a hell of a lot and he's frightened he'll lose Yuugi forever with this next step… but in his own weird way of trying to keep everything the same he doesn't realise that he's pissing Yuugi off and driving him away….. aww doesn't it suck to be an ex – Pharaoh?

Look out for everyone's favourite tomb robber appearing in the next chapter.

And please read and review.