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Fruit Cocktail and Cottage Cheese - Chapter 1

He wrinkles his nose in disgust as he walks up behind his koi sitting at the kitchen table.

"What…is…that?" He grimaces, looking over the spiked head at the concoction in front of him.

His koi looks up in surprise.

"It's fruit cocktail and cottage cheese," he replies with a smirk, continuing to mix the two together in the large bowl. "What does it look like?"

"Do you really want me to answer that," Seto taunts, covering his mouth as if he expects to throw up.

"Whatever," Yami scoffs.

"You realize you're not kissing me if you eat that crap," he smirks.

"Hmph. Your loss," Yami snickers, stuffing a large spoonful of his creation into his mouth.

Seto watches him eating for a few moments, controlling his urge to gag at the sight.

"Why are you eating that shit anyway," he grumbles after a few minutes, hoping Yami will stop shoving the vile mixture into his face long enough to answer him. If he watches him eat that garbage any longer, he really will puke.

"I need to lose a few pounds quickly and cottage cheese and fruit cocktail is supposed to do the trick," Yami responds casually.

Seto eyes his slim boyfriend and frowns.

"Lose a few pounds? From where? I'd think you could stand to gain some weight, Yami, not lose."

"Must we go through this every time, Seto?" Yami groans.

"Go through what? You're too fucking thin now! Why the hell would you need to lose more weight?" Seto frowns angrily.

Yami sighs and turns to face his bent-out-of-shape koi.

"Seto, I'm a gymnast," he begins as if talking to a 5-year-old, which is what he thinks his koi becomes every time he mentions losing weight. "I have to maintain a certain body weight and line. You know that."

"You don't, Yami. That coach of yours is a psycho. He's just trying to make you anorexic."

"Seto…"

"And stop talking to me like I'm some kind of an idiot!" he yells, eyes blazing. "So I dropped out of high school. So I didn't go to college. I'm CEO of the largest technology and gaming company in the world! I assure you that I'm far from stupid!"

Yami's eyes widen at the accusation.

"Seto! You know I didn't mean it like that!"

Seto narrows his eyes at the figure seated before him, remembering every single time Yami had snidely alluded to his lack of formal education.

"Didn't you?" Seto glares. "Don't think I've forgotten what you said."

Yami looks at him in astonishment, trying frantically to figure out how their regular banter turned into an argument about Yami's non-existent classism. And what is Seto talking about? What he said when? About what?

"What the hell are you talking about?" Yami yells in frustration.

Seto steps closer, towering over Yami's seated form.

"Don't you remember, Yami?" he growls. "Don't you remember telling that blonde dog in the diner that you wouldn't be caught dead with someone who was too stupid to finish high school?"

"Seto, that was just to get him to leave me alone! I didn't mean…I wasn't talking about you!"

"What about the time you alluded to my 'lack of education' being the reason I didn't know about some famous American band from the stone-age of the 1960's? What about when you suggested that I wouldn't be so bored at night if I took a few classes with you?

"That was…I was just teasing you about the band, Seto. And I thought you might like to take an English class since you read so voraciously. But I really don't care about any of that. I love you just the way you are." Yami is surprised that his soothing words seem to do more harm than good as Seto becomes even more unhinged.

"Just the way I am, huh," he sneers. "Am I supposed to feel honored that you're happy I'm stupid?"

"That's not what I meant! Gods, why are you being so obstinate? You know I love you! You know I don't give a damn about any of that!"

But his boyfriend doesn't let up with Yami's well-intended assurance.

"Is that so?" he continues, yelling louder. "What about when you steered your father away from asking me what college I went to? What about when you let that Mai bitch tease me about missing my prom? What about not correcting your little brother when he said you were 'wasting your time with a dropout' when you could be dating someone working on their Master's like you?"

"Are you listening to me? I don't give a damn! My little brother and a few of my friends are a bit degree-struck, but that's not me! That's not how I feel!"

Seto narrows his eyes at the man he's starting to view as his ex. He'd had doubts he could trust him ever since they started going out over a year ago. Now that the anorexic little bitch just lied to his face, he feels justified in his suspicion.

"No?" he questions in a dangerously quiet tone, folding his arms in finality. "Then what about when you told your psych professor that you couldn't respect anyone who didn't have a degree?"

"That…You're taking it out of context! We were talking about…How the hell do you know that anyway?!" Yami yells, now standing himself. "Are you following me around?"

"Of course not." Seto rolls his eyes at Yami's obvious stupidity. "I pay someone to do it for me."

"You…" Yami starts taken aback by Seto's seriousness. Suddenly he feels naked, violated. He knows Seto can be quite obsessive and is more than a little possessive, but to have him followed…stalked…

He thought Seto loved him, but now he wonders if the CEO ever saw him as anything more than another acquisition. That thought sickens him and he can't stand to look at his koi right then.

"Get out," Yami hisses, lowering his eyes to the floor, his formidable temper barely held in check with the clenching of his fists.

"Fuck you, Yami," Seto growls, disappearing in a swirl of his white trench.

II

His head hurt, again.

He's been sitting at his desk for two hours, trying to read the quarterly finance report, but can't concentrate through the pain.

The crippling migraines had come back three weeks ago. Any stress made them worse. Unfortunately for him, his life revolved around stress. Even with that fact, he'd gotten used to the normal, everyday migraine and could ignore them with practiced ease. It's just those exceptional ones, which felt like his brain was trying to escape through his forehead, bringing his meager stomach contents with it, that gave him any real problems. He's been wearing dark glasses in response to the migraines' light sensitivity for so long, the gossip mill has him hiding abuse from his boyfriend.

Not that he has one anymore.

The day after their last argument, Seto had gone by Yami's house and picked up his personal items, leaving Yami's key on the kitchen table. He'd also haphazardly gathered Yami's belongings from the mansion and dropped them in a heap on Yami's living room floor. He'd thought about leaving a note, but decided his actions spoke loud enough.

As expected, Yami called that night, looking for an explanation.

"You're so educated, you figure it out!" Seto had snapped before hanging up on him. After that, he refused or ignored Yami's calls and blocked his e-mail.

Seto groans loudly, dropping his face into his hands and rubbing his forehead, his breathing sporadic. He hasn't felt this bad since the year preceding his disclosure.

'Coming out' at 19 lifted a huge burden off of Seto's shoulders. He'd relaxed so much after the world broadcast revelation that both of his ulcers had healed within a few months and he's never been plagued again.

The migraines he'd acquired during his stepfather's 'training' in his abusive childhood were another matter. Though they lessened in severity after his disclosure, they didn't go away completely until he hooked up with Yami three years later.

The calming effect of spending time with Yami completely surprised Seto. Not only did his headaches lessen and eventually disappear, but waking up in Yami's arms on a regular basis also tended to keep his often-volatile temper in check. Almost nine months passed without Seto randomly firing anyone, whereas before he'd barely make 3 weeks!

Even his secretary stopped cringing every time he came out of his office.

"Water, Minako," he mumbles into his intercom.

"Yes, Mr. Kaiba," she responds briskly, appearing before him moments later with a pitcher of ice water and an empty glass.

After swallowing two of the prescription painkillers that he hasn't touched in almost a year, his eyes land on the picture sitting near the corner of his desk. Mokuba and Yami smile happily at him from the large silver frame, twisting his heart painfully.

He'd taken the picture himself while they were on a trip to Mount Fuji. His two 'ski bunnies' had the time of their lives at the exclusive resort, even though neither of them knew how to ski.

He should have gotten rid of that picture when he got rid of Yami.

Another wave of pain flashes behind his eyes and he slams the frame down angrily. He calls his secretary and tells her to cancel his afternoon appointments. With his head hurting this badly, he isn't going to accomplish anything anyway.

Packing up quickly, he heads down to his waiting limo. On the way home, his mind brings him back to Yami.

He shouldn't be surprised that his relationship didn't last with the gymnast. After all, it came out of nowhere.

They first met when Kaiba Corp. threw a benefit for Domino Children's Hospital at the Kaiba Mansion. Yami had shown up as both spokesperson for the Japanese gymnastics team and impromptu entertainment, offering to do several flips, twists and hand stands for the dozens of children attending and their parents, all while wearing his formal tux.

Hn. What a show-off.

He supposes that's what drew him to step up to the diminutive figure later that evening and invite him to dance. Secretly, he'd also appreciated that Yami didn't hesitate to respond affirmatively, even knowing that he'd be essentially 'outing' himself. Though, as he learned later, Yami's preferences were not only well known, but had been for the last eight years of the 24-year-old's life. Their 'dance' had ended when Yami quietly slipped out of his mansion early the next morning.

He'd initially categorized the encounter as a one-night stand until the unexpected visit to his office three weeks later.

"I'm so sorry for running out like that," Yami had gushed at Seto's raised eyebrow, "but when I woke up and saw the time, I panicked. I thought the plane left at 8am and it was already 6:30, so I pestered one of your security guys to drive me home. As it turned out, the plane didn't leave until 8pm," he'd finished with a laugh.

Yami hadn't had a phone number to call him and since it was Sunday, he couldn't have called Kaiba Corp. and been transferred, so he'd just let it go. He'd decided to leave things at a one-night stand once the plane landed, but the entire time he competed in the World Gymnastics Championships, he'd not been able to get the CEO off of his mind.

"So…" Seto had prodded at the end of Yami's story.

The gymnast had blushed hotly, surprising the CEO.

"So, I was wondering if you'd like to go out with me," he'd grinned.

They'd instantly become nearly inseparable. Many days and nights passed blissfully for the two. Even the droves of reporters swarming their every appearance together couldn't dampen their spirits. Seto had even started to lose the normal suspicions he carried about people. And the sex…

Seto smiles in remembrance of the many positions they'd tried. Gods, their sex life was mind-blowing! Yami turned out to be completely uninhibited, which fueled Seto's latent, over-the-top behavior. Several times they'd tempted fate against a wall in Seto's office minutes before his Monday afternoon Board meeting, or in a corner of the locker room before one of Yami's competitions. Within the first two months of their relationship, they'd christened every room in Yami's apartment and most of the rooms in Seto's mansion, some more than once. Their daredevil natures also led them to frequent Seto's backyard and the balcony of Yami's apartment.

But it wasn't just the great sex keeping them together. Seto could tell early on that Yami instinctively understood him. He'd known when to let Seto brood and when to pull him out of his black mood. He'd known when to fight back if Seto got angry out of the blue and when to let him rant.

He shakes his head, remembering that Yami had also known when to just hold him and let him talk, even if he only talked about work.

No one had ever cared for him so deeply.

They'd proclaimed undying love to each other less than three months after they'd started dating. Seto had never felt so connected to another person in his life, except maybe his son, Mokuba.

Yami even dealt with that a lot better than Seto had expected.

"So, let me get this straight," Yami had frowned after Seto's admission, "you have a son?"

"He's five," Seto had offered, keeping himself closed to spare his feelings. They'd been dating for almost two months and he'd thought it best not to keep Mokuba a secret any longer since he was due back home within the week. Seeing Yami's initial reaction, he'd thought he'd made a mistake.

"But, aren't you gay?"

"I was…experimenting at the time. I was still unsure of what I wanted. She was a few years older, experienced. It seemed the logical thing to do."

"But she got pregnant."

"She didn't want him," he'd shrugged, "but I couldn't let her kill him. So I made her a deal, she would act as my surrogate and I would take the baby after she gave birth. I thought she would change her mind, but she honestly didn't want children. I took Mokuba home from the hospital."

"Where has he been all this time?" Yami had questioned sincerely.

"Well, she didn't want any children, but her parents were glad to have another grandson. Mokuba is their youngest grandchild and he's spending the summer with them this year. He'll be home later this week, which is why I wanted to tell you about him."

Yami had looked hurt. "Why didn't you tell me before? Didn't you trust me?"

"No," he'd replied quietly, honestly. Thinking about it now, maybe he should have followed that first instinct and remained wary.

Nearly an hour of awkward silence had followed those confessions in which Yami had sat thoughtfully before going home without even a good-bye. Seto had felt his heart clench at the loss, but he'd determined long ago that anyone who planned to be in his life had to accept Mokuba or move on. Obviously Yami had decided to move on.

Two weeks of silence later his secretary had informed him he had a visitor, 'a Mr. Mutou'.

After several apologies and tackling Seto with a kiss, Yami had handed him a small, blue box.

"I hope he likes it," Yami had smiled warily.

Warmed by the gesture, Seto had given him an honest smile.

"Why don't we find out," he'd replied. He'd then cancelled his afternoon meetings and taken Yami back to the mansion to meet Mokuba.

They'd gotten along famously and Seto had begun to hope again; especially after seeing Yami's present.

Seto thought he'd given Mokuba every Blue-Eyes White Dragon accessory ever made until that afternoon.

The gymnast had gotten his son an intricately carved, solid silver Blue-eyes White Dragon necklace on a thick silver chain. Mokuba had gushed about it for days, refusing to take it off, even for bath time.

Seto had started envisioning a long future with Yami by his side until they'd hit the six-month mark and Seto met his friends and family.

Yami's twin, Yugi, whom he'd often teased as 'the midget who wanted to be a man,' proved quite intelligent about business and they'd talked most of the night. The guy with the die dangling from his ear, Otogi, Seto had known from the gaming business. They got along well. The adopted younger brother, Hiroto, had proven to be singularly nasty to Seto. At least until his girlfriend, Anzu, and her best friend Mai had shown up.

While Anzu had appeared to be following along simply to keep the peace between herself, her boyfriend and her best friend, Mai had actively goaded Seto once she found out he hadn't gotten out of high school. With her PhD in Child Psychology, she'd spent the entire dinner and their trip to a pool hall afterward trying to analyze him. It was at the pool hall that she'd thrown the insults at him about his prom. Yami had looked shocked, but hadn't said anything.

That had been the first time Seto doubted Yami's feelings.

The doubts had begun to grow after dinner with Yami's family a week later. Yami's obvious anxiety when his father and Seto struck up a conversation about Seto's background and schooling had disturbed him, as had Yami's reluctance to hold his hand at all that night, even under the table. Not to mention Yami's frequent changes of subject almost every time Mr. Mouto had asked Seto a question.

Hiroto, the youngest brother, had spent half of the night throwing jabs at Seto's character, but it was usually Yugi, not Yami, who had defended Seto.

Yami had acted as though he were...ashamed...of Seto, like he didn't care about him as much as Seto thought.

That night, Yami had left Seto to brood alone, deciding to go home instead of explaining his actions and assuring Seto of his feelings.

Another wave of pain hits and Seto rubs his temples at the memory of telling Mokuba that Yami wouldn't be coming around anymore.

He'd put off saying anything for almost two weeks, but Mokuba kept asking and finally Seto had to tell him why he hadn't seen 'Daddy Yami' in such a long time.

"But…but why? Did I do something wrong? Is he mad at me? Doesn't he love me anymore?" Mokuba had wailed.

More than a week later, Mokuba still cries himself to sleep with the loss.

III

Fifteen pounds.

Fifteen pounds!

He has somehow gained fifteen fucking pounds in less than four weeks!

Kicking his scale in disgust, he storms off to take a shower. His workout had been brutal, mainly because he couldn't concentrate. All he could think about was the weight he'd gained and couldn't seem to lose.

He's tried dieting and working out and a personal trainer…nothing worked! Fed up with Yami's apparent lack of concern about the weight, his coach made him an alternate for Worlds. An alternate! Yami hasn't been an alternate since…since…he can't even remember it's been so long. He's been the best on every team he joined for at least the past 12 years.

An alternate! Gods!

Letting the hot water soak his head, he curses in frustration. He has to get back on the team. It's a disgrace to his family and friends for him to be an alternate. They've all sacrificed and helped him so much to become the best gymnast in the world. It hurts to let them down, but no matter how hard he pushes himself, things just kept getting worse. His coordination sucks, he has no fire left in his routines, and he'd even fallen off of the rings last night.

The rings!

His perennial Gold Medal apparatus and he fell!

No wonder his coach thinks the worst about him!

As much as the slipping of his morale angers and disturbs him, Yami doesn't know how to turn things around. He doesn't know how to motivate himself anymore.

What he need is someone to help him focus, someone to help him feel confident again...

'Someone like Seto,' his mind supplies for him.

"Yeah," he mumbles in agreement.

After he hooked up with Seto over a year ago, Yami had begun to feel that he could accomplish anything. He'd used Seto's fierce belief in his abilities to push himself even harder. It wasn't enough just to win any more. Yami began wanting a 10.0 on every apparatus every time he competed. In that year with Seto, he'd not only broken every World record in his competitions, but he'd then broken his own records! His routines became more complicated and dangerous, and with them he controlled the world of men's gymnastics. None of his competitors could measure up to his ability.

Every victory thrilled him more than the last because Seto would always be so happy for him. Yami lived for those pure smiles and would do anything to bring them to his beloved's face.

Not that every moment with Seto had turned into a smile-fest, but even Seto's frequent sullen moods and his occasional outright rages had been welcome. The thought of not being with Seto forever genuinely terrified him. Yami didn't think he could function without that strength behind him.

At that moment he realizes when his weight gain started; about a week after Seto…left him.

Yami shudders involuntarily at the memory of that night.

He'd come home, planning to cook something spectacular as a peace offering since he knew Seto would never make the first move, no matter how wrong he may have been. Heading through the darkened living room on his way to shower after practice, Yami had instead found himself falling over a soft pile in the middle of the floor.

After clamoring around in the dark and the issuance of some well-placed curses, he had managed to turn on a lamp. His breath had caught at the sight of the pile of clothes, toiletries and keepsakes that he normally kept at Seto's house. 'No!' his mind had screamed at him.

Frantically he'd scrambled for the phone in the kitchen. As Seto's home phone rang, he'd spied Seto's key to his apartment on the kitchen table. Barely coherent, he'd slowly picked it up just as Seto had answered the phone.

"What?" Seto had barked

"S-Seto," Yami had stuttered, "What…what are my things doing here? And your key?"

"I left them there," Seto had responded coolly.

"B-but why?"

"You're so educated, you figure it out!" he'd screamed and then hung up.

Yami remembers dropping the phone in a panic and running to his room.

The closet lay open, drawers had been pulled out, the space on the dresser reserved for Mokuba's picture had been bare; all of Seto's things had been gone. He remembers not being able to breathe and stumbling out the front door, and then he was standing in Yugi's bathroom hyperventilating.

Yugi had tried to get Yami to tell him what had happened, but Yami couldn't speak just then. At some point, Yami's coach had shown up with the team doctor who had given Yami oxygen and a mild sedative. Two days later he'd finally calmed enough to tell Yugi what happened. He remembers Yugi served as his anchor while he attempted to get himself together and had assured him that Seto would come around if Yami just talked to him. So, for the remainder of that week and all the following two weeks, Yami had attempted to contact Seto, to no avail.

After Seto left, everyday felt like he was swimming through mud. It really wasn't a mystery why he couldn't accomplish anything; he'd lost his cornerstone and now he was collapsing.

"Stress," he whispers to himself as he dries off. That's why he keeps gaining weight. That's why he can't focus. That's why he can't sleep and has started seeing signs of sleep deprivation in his daily routine.

And he is very stressed. About never being good enough for the team again. About failing. About disappointing his family and friends.

About losing Seto and about never seeing Mokuba again.

While Yami loved kids, he'd never expected to have any of his own. Almost from the moment he met Mokuba he'd loved him. Mokuba became the son of his heart, if not his body. That loss is worse than losing Seto.

No, losing both of them is more pain than he can handle. He missed Seto and Mokuba so much.

He'd begun planning his future with them. Seto's name had been put down in place of Yugi's and his dad's as his emergency contact and next of kin on all documents of importance. They'd both been listed with Yugi and his grandpa as family members to have access to all of his competitions. The day before the fight that ended it all, he'd even made Seto and Mokuba the beneficiaries on his life insurance. Not that they'd need his money, but they were his family.

And that's who should be on your life insurance, your family.

But now that they're gone…

No, he can't remove them. As much as he still loves them, he can't. They're still his family, even if he never sees them again.

Suddenly bone-weary with grief, he flops back on his bed.

"I'm sorry. Seto," he whispers to the ceiling

Seto had been right; he had been behaving like an elitist ass for months before Seto called him on it. Did his friends and family influence him so much? Maybe he just didn't want them angry with him anymore. Hiroto, Anzu and Mai hadn't liked Seto since the beginning and were very vocal about it. Even Yugi appeared to doubt Seto's sincerity.

Or Yami thought he did. He found out after Seto left that Yugi had only wanted him to be sure about spending the rest of his life with Seto. He'd only been concerned about Yami's complete dependence on Seto's strength of character. As usual, his twin had only wanted the best for him. But Yami didn't know that at the time, so once he thought Yugi began to doubt, Yami began losing his own resolve.

The snide remarks and disregard for Hiroto, Anzu and Mai's treatment of his koi had been a test of sorts. But since he really didn't have any problems with Seto, he's not sure what he'd been testing. The day of the argument, he probably would have confessed to everything until Seto had revealed that he'd had Yami followed.

How could Seto really care if he didn't trust Yami in the first place?! He'd been hurt and angry and completely freaked out after Seto's admission of having him followed, which he'd told Yugi after his breakdown. His younger twin had seemed angry about his earlier actions with Seto, but he'd never expected Yugi's reaction. Since he'd left Yugi's house three weeks ago, his brother hasn't contacted Yami at all nor responded to Yami's numerous phone calls and e-mails.

Which is another reason for his stress; he and Yugi haven't spent more than a week not talking and spending time with each other since they were little and even then not willingly. To be completely shut out like this…

It hurt so much. He's lost Seto and Mokuba. Now he's losing Yugi too. Unbidden, the tears begin sliding down the sides of his face until he buries himself in the comforter and sobs.

IV

"And there's a mountain," Mokuba grins, pointing at a cloud outside the window of his father's Learjet.

Seto thought a trip away from Domino would help Mokuba with his grief about losing Yami.

And maybe help his heart too. Though it didn't manifest itself as tears like it has with Mokuba, the loss affected Seto profoundly. Between the migraines and missing the feel of Yami's body beside him, he hasn't slept well in more than two months. They both needed a change of scenery.

"I see it Mokuba," Seto smiles weakly.

After a few more minutes of cloud watching, Mokuba climbs into Seto's lap, eyes inquisitive.

"Where are we going, Daddy?"

"I though we could use some time away, Mokuba," he replies calmly. "So we're going to Kaibaland in Singapore."

"By ourselves?"

"Who else would be going but us?"

He regrets the question as soon as it leaves his lips.

"Daddy Yami," Mokuba replies with frown.

"I told you Yami's not going to be around anymore, Mokuba," he states firmly.

"Why not, Daddy?" his son pouts. "Aren't you and Daddy Yami friends any more?"

"No. And don't call him 'Daddy Yami'."

"But I want Daddy Yami back with us, Daddy! He said he loved me. And I love him. I want him back!"

"Mokuba," Seto groans, feeling a new migraine forming, "he's not coming back."

"But why, Daddy? Why isn't he coming back? I want Daddy Yami back," his son pleads, eyes entreating.

"That's enough, Mokuba!" Seto shouts, regretting it instantly as tears form in those wide, blue-gray eyes.

Gathering the six year old into his arms, he apologizes for shouting at him, soothing Mokuba's hurt feelings with calm words and soft strokes to his wild, black mane.

"I want Daddy Yami back," Mokuba sobs.

"I'm sorry, Mokuba," Seto soothes, wishing for the first time that he'd never brought Yami into their lives.

V

The speculation about Yami's condition began shortly after World's and ranged from drug addiction to a major illness to a nervous breakdown. During the competition, he'd not moved from the bench, though as an alternate, a turn of events which garnered heavy speculation in its own right, his stationary location had been expected. His appearance and behavior while on the bench and his appearance and behavior afterward fueled the bulk of the speculation. Though not physically gaunt, his eyes were shadowed and haunted, his skin pale and sickly looking. The entire competition he'd sat and stared at nothing. At the end of each day's competition, the normally exuberant and talkative gymnast had by-passed the media, never lifting his eyes from the ground.

He'd stopped appearing in public, even for his own charities. If anyone did catch a glimpse of him, the normally well-dressed 25-year-old would be disheveled and out of sorts, his clothing dingy and wrinkled, his hair in a state of disarray. After bold paparazzi took several shots through Yami's bedroom window of the reclusive celebrity taking a handful of pills from an unmarked white bottle, the rumors of drug addiction increased.

No matter how hard he tried, Seto couldn't escape news of Yami's deterioration. The once top-seeded gymnast in the world had become his country's "top seeded" tabloid fodder.

"It's not my fault," Seto grumbles, balling up the latest article about his once beloved.

He isn't seeking out news about Yami; the papers are usually just lying around the front lobby of Kaiba Corp. or on top of a trashcan in the garage. Looking out the window of his limo as he makes his way home, he can't deny the primary feeling he had after seeing Yami popping those pills; fear. The Yami he knows avoids medication of any kind. That man in the tabloids can't be the strong confident Yami he knows. It had to have been a mistake.

Not that he cared of course since Yami was history.

His eyes close involuntarily as another migraine rears its ugly head. Popping open his briefcase, he pulls out his prescription, swallowing the directed two pills dry. Over the past month, his doctor has had to increase the strength of his migraine medication three times in order for Seto to function semi-normally. He still barely sleeps and the near-constant nausea keeps him from eating regularly. Mokuba remains the only bright spot in his world even with his company's phenomenal success.

Some days, the migraines are so bad that Seto finds himself unable to do anything but lie in his dark, soundproofed room, praying that the beat of his heart and his harsh breathing weren't so loud. At those times, he is even forced to draw away from Mokuba. With the early onset of this migraine, he's hoping that today won't become one of those days. It's Mokuba's 7th birthday and Seto has planned an afternoon and evening of activities to celebrate. He'd originally hoped to take the entire day, but his mid-morning meeting couldn't be rescheduled as the potential client was leaving for America that afternoon and wouldn't be returning for at least four months.

The deal turned out to be a rather lucrative one for his company, which almost makes up for being called 'Kaiba-boy' for three hours.

Pulling up to the mansion, Seto forces all thoughts about work and Yami from his mind as he tries to ignore the persistent throbbing at his right temple and the slight blur in his vision. All he wants to do is wrap his arms around his son and forget the rest of the world.

Yami pops a handful of aspirin into his mouth, chasing them with the remains of a beer from the night before.

Yugi frowns.

This is exactly why he'd been concerned with Yami's relationship with Seto. Even though Yami had been in relationships before Seto and had even been in love at least once, he'd never invested his heart and soul in any of those relationships. Before Yugi stood the remains of his brother, the Yami he knew and loved departed the night Seto did.

Not that he helped any by angrily shutting out his twin in his time of need. How could he have been so stupid and cruel?

"Yami," he calls to the vacant husk now sitting on the disheveled bed. "Why don't you come stay with me and get out of here for a while?"

He's been trying for weeks to get his brother out of the apartment. Sometime after World's, Yugi had begun discovering random notes around his brother's home. They said things like 'Mokuba likes the blue chair best' and 'Seto hates towels on the bedroom floor' and 'We usually eat popcorn with Mokuba on the loveseat.'

The notes frightened Yugi. He worried that Yami's connection to Seto had been so strong that his brother's mind may have snapped without it. Resolving to help in some way, he'd stayed with his brother for a few days, hoping to understand Yami's situation better. It was after those few days that he realized the notes were a sign of depression not insanity, they were there to help Yami remember, not because he couldn't distinguish reality.

Yugi's assessment was further validated after Yami's worried coach had arranged for a psychiatric exam. However, the psychiatrist, Yami's coach, nor Yugi could get the distraught gymnast to leave the apartment and the obviously painful memories. Neither could they get him to agree to any counseling, the older twin locking himself in his bedroom for two days when the issue was pressed. Since then Yugi had tried, unsuccessfully, to coax Yami into at least coming to his house for a meal.

"Yami?" he tries again.

"Sure," his brother mumbles.

Clamping down on his excitement about finally breaking through, he helps Yami dress and walks him down to his car parked in the garage of Yami's building.

"I'm sorry," Yami mumbles as Yugi drives along.

"What do you have to be sorry about, Yami?" Yugi glances at him with a frown.

"I let everyone down. I'm sorry," Yami sighs.

"You didn't, Yami. We're all just worried about you."

"Not all," he whispers.

"What, Yami? I couldn't hear you over that idiot's music," Yugi glares at the car beside him whose radio is blaring.

As they approach the yellow light at the next intersection, the driver with the loud radio accelerates through the now red signal, promptly getting pulled over by the police.

"Ha! Serves you right!" Yugi sneers, inadvertently reminding his twin of Seto.

"I can't do this," Yami mumbles.

"What do you mean, Yami?" Yugi questions worriedly.

In response, Yami opens the car door and steps out into traffic.

"Yami!" Yugi calls frantically as Yami darts dangerously between cars.