Six.

"Can I talk to you?"

Yami looked away from the small book in his hands, a smile spread across his lips. He'd been sitting there for nearly half an hour, distracting himself with Webster's dictionary as the others went off to try on tuxedos and prom dresses. "Jonouchi. You look positively pulchritudinous."

The blond blinked, staring at his shorter friend in confusion. "I look…what?"

"Pulchritudinous. According to the dictionary, it means 'physically beautiful; comeliness." The smile widened across he pharaoh's faced and Jonouchi barely had the heart to tell him how odd he seemed. Mistaking the blank stare he received for more confusion, Yami continued. "I mean you look very good in that tuxedo. And…pulchritudinous. It's been such a long time and all, so I've yet to find an appropriate…never mind. You wanted to speak with me?"

"Uh. Yeah." Jonouchi slowly blinked, eyes narrowing to the saddened smile remaining across the other's lips. For a moment, he stood there, having to think through hi stupor. The literal look-alike of his best friend was sitting on a bench, lost, like Yugi used to in class when all of them first became friends. It broke his heart, remembering that his child-like best friend had held up a silly game, and shrunk as he assumed neither Honda nor he enjoyed games as much as he did.

That being said, they immediately sat across from him and asked him to explain the rules, even if they couldn't sympathize. So of course, Jonouchi smiled, plopping next to the once spirit and patting him on the back, "No, no. Go on. What were you saying?"

Large eyes stared at him curiously. Yami's smile reappeared and he lowered the book so Jonouchi could see. "Pulchritudinous. I once used that word to describeg my priestess…" His voice wavered gently, trailing off and decaying.

Immediately catching this, Jonouchi swept into surprise from the fact the same, normally confident orbs were blocked, lost and again hesitant, like…Orichalcos. He set a hand on Yami's shoulder, concerned when the shorter's gaze only fell to the bracelet wrapped around his wrist. "You okay, man?"

"Yes," Yami muttered softly, eyes closed. "I…yes."

"You wanna talk about it?" It was rare, really, for either of them to converse with open another. From what he assumed, Yami always acted on Yugi's feelings and instincts instead of his own. Despite that, Jonouchi desperately wondered what it would be like having Yami as a best friend, and only the pharaoh alone. Right now, it seemed as though Yami would have been the type of person he would beat up. Sheepishly grinning at the thought, he ran a hand through his hair.

But he was a different person now. The pharaoh meant so much more to him than that.

Yami was staring at him strangely, as if he'd never spilled his guts before. But then again, Yugi was his outlet; the only thing the pharaoh ad known for the past few years. It shouldn't have been surprising.

"C'mon," Jonouchi hummed with a sing-songy tone, "sharing helps!"

"I…guess." The shorter gently nodded and set the dictionary in his lap. He picked on the Pikachu band-aid resting on his elbow, gaze lowered and sighed. "It…has been different with all of my memories gathered together."

"Oh?' Jonouchi arched an eyebrow. "Whatcha mean by that?"

Yami shrugged, frustration finally passing across a face Jonouchi was used to as smiling for the past few days. "My identity as Atemu. It goes along with what I've asked all of you to call me: Yami. Even though we were searching for my memories for such a long time, I ended up gaining so much more. The me who was Atemu…I can't relate to him at all."

The once spirit ran a hand through his hair, frustration flickering in the core of his eyes. He cast a look to the dictionary in his hand and let it dangle to his side. "I…have these vivid images of my father holding my hand, or…my best friend, Mana, on her birthday, making a present for her. I like those memories. But I also remember other things…beheading a man or seducing a woman who I had absolutely no interest in. I've grown. Watching aibou grow has let me understand my morals, and what I believe in. I…guess, it's bad because now when I wake up, I realize that all my life has passed already."

"But…" Jonouchi murmured, concern flickering in his voice. He leaned over, pressing a hand on Yami's shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly. "It hasn't passed. The Gods gave you a second chance, and right now you're living in it."

He failed to miss Yami instinctively wrap a hand around the chain on his wrist. Jonouchi blinked, taking in this action with much curiosity, but didn't question it. Yami's hand remained there, and they sat there for what seemed like ages as Yami drifted off into space.

"Yami?" Jonouchi finally asked, apprehension bubbling in the pit of his stomach.

"It's nothing." Yami's hand immediately left the bracelet. Jonouchi's eyes lingered for a moment, and he could have sworn that it'd glowed. "I'm sorry. You said you wanted to speak to me about something?"

Again, the blond couldn't help but stare at his friend as the same bracelet was forcefully shoved between Yami's legs and yet to be seen again. Webster's Dictionary peeked out of the pharaoh's—no, the teenager's—pocket, and Jonouchi held back a chuckle. Most definitely, he thought. Yami would have most definitely been the type of guy he would have beat up, but he wouldn't. Their friendship meant too much for that, and both Yugi and Yami had changed him for the better.

"It's nothing," concluded Jonouchi. He slapped Yami on the back playfully (though assumed too roughly when Yami grunted and clutched his shoulder with a cringe) and helped him up. "Yami, you know the gang and I will always be here for you, right?"

For a moment, all the once spirit had done was go quiet, eyes falling to the ground.

Jonouchi pressed on. "We're your friends too, Yami. You're stuck with us." Arching a warning eyebrow, a smirk fell across his face and the taller attempted to sling an arm around Yami's shoulders. "Whether you like it or not."

"…Yugi has made it rather clear that he doesn't want me in his life," whispered the shorter quietly.

"Hey, do I look like Yugi?" Smirking, Jonouchi's grip tightened over the other's shoulder and guided him into the Dillard's where Anzu would be trying on her dress. "No, you do. This new life you have, Yami? You don't have to worry about it. We all have your back. Even Yugi—he just doesn't know it yet."

Again, the hesitation fluttered through Yami's tone, but Jonouchi tried best to think little of it. "But…"

"No. No buts." With skill, the blond so-called "mutt" gracefully snatched Webster's Dictionary from Yami's pant pocket and fluttered through it absentmindedly. "So…that one word, Yami. Pulp-readiness or whatever?"

Yami smiled, finally finding relief and actually leaned into Jonouchi's grip. "Pulchritudinous, Jonouchi. You look absolutely Pulchritudinous."

OoOoO

"Why are you sitting over here?"

Yami blinked. Looking up from where he was wading, floating gear aside and feet plunged into water, he was met with an irritated coach. Oblivious to the glare she was giving him, he could only shrug. "I can't swim."

She blinked a few times, surprised by his statement, but Yami could only look down into the water, where his small feet barely met the water, and shiver. It had always been a personal fear of his—drowning. He hated the feel of water around him, even as Atemu. "Are you positive?"

He shifted uncomfortably, eyes flickering with subtle distaste before scooting away from the tall woman. "I don't find the water pleasant, either."

"Sennen, this is gym class." The coach's voice remained stern. She put both hands on her hips, eyebrow arched. "You have to swim."

"I'm sorry then." Yami sighed softly and shook his head. "I don't…" Want to get killed? He could have said that. But staring into the water made the poor once spirit remember how uneasy it made him fee land forget his spine. He had a flashback to when he was little, and although it seemed silly, Atemu had been close to drowning because of his friends' antics with magic. It took him weeks before he was comfortable bathing again, and although minor to Zorc, it was—"I apologize."

He stood up, kicked the water off his feet, and trudged away, mind racing with torturous memories he hated admitting were his own. Yami clung to the bars of the gate leading to the locker room and loudly cursed about being unable to open it. His head hurt, overwhelmed by all thoughts. He'd never experienced the sensation before, with memories overflowing from his days as the Prince. Some Yami recognized, others he couldn't remember to save his life, and it melded together with who he was now, Yami Sennen. The once pharaoh, once spirit was tapping into the fragments of his life that made him bleed.

"Ah…" With a blurry success, Yami forced the door open and squeezed his hair. He wasn't Atemu, he was Yami. He wasn't the pharaoh, he was only human. He wasn't…was…is…are…Yami caught his breath, freezing as he finally got to the bench and wrapped his arms around his stomach. He…felt sick. Different words uttered from his lips, from Ancient Egyptian to Basic Japanese.

He puked the peanut butter and jelly sandwich he had for breakfast.

It splattered to the ground, between his feet in a warm mess, and the red-eyed teenager was left, numb from the head down. His fingers wrapped around his sides and he stayed, stuck in a daze with his own vomit. Strangely enough, it was all he needed in order to keep his memories from overtaking him.

Immediately, Yami jumped up from the seat and clumsily fell over until he was in front of a random locker.

"Yami? You okay? You looked pretty jank."

"I'm fine." He moaned a little, irritated with the aftertaste of peanut butter on his tongue. Yami's fingers squeezed his hair, and he wiped away the sweat from his brow. One hand on his stomach, Yami put one foot in front of the other and smiled a little. Perfectly fine.

Jonouchi came into view, and the blond's expression was entirely different from his. He grimaced, eyes focused on the paleness of Yami's face, and then looked to the floor. The grimace worsened. "Did you…"

"It's just a little vomit," Yami assured. His smile widened, and he clenched the flat surface of the locker in order to keep himself propped up. "I can go back out."

"Yams," The blond said with a bit of disgust in his voice, "School policy says that if you upchuck during school, you're going home."

"I've already had too many problems with gym. I doubt I'd be able to get out of school again." Not that he wanted to. This hollow sanctity was also the only way Yami was able to hang out with Yugi 24/7. Every other time he tried to even talk to the boy, Anzu would be on the young teenager's mind. Yami had been hanging out with his aibou's friend more and more, but what part of 'aibou's friends' involved the actual aibou?

Jonouchi caught his frustration immediately. "I think there's more jank about you than barfing man. Spill. Just uh, not literally."

The once pharaoh broke into a small smile. In the span of two days the blond was able to get him to open up more. It was hard to express his feelings, but Jonouchi had become an outlet for him. When others didn't notice how far behind Yami seemed to be, Jonouchi would halt, run all the way back to the once noble, and drag him along like a small child. Not once did he complain.

"The magazine you gave me," Yami said without batting an eyelash. He felt bad for lying, but he was also too scared to tell anyone what his mission was. If he didn't find seven things about Yugi Mutou that were charming and changed his life, Yami would no longer be of this world. He wasn't so sure, but he assumed that telling Jonouchi such a thing would have caused the end of their friendship. And he needed it. Jonouchi was the only person he could open up to because he was probably the closest to him aside from aibou. "It says not to create a reputation for myself. By now I must have a reputation for going to the infirmary so often."

The taller teenager stared at him. He kept the same vacant gaze for more than thirty seconds, and Yami blinked innocently. Even if it was an empty question, he didn't expect an answer at all. These days he was beginning to become irritated, each demeanor he got from his surroundings an implication that something—what was the word? Utterly stupid.

"You have to go to the nurse." And of course, Jonouchi avoided the subject.

At that moment, Yami was back on his feet and remembered how weak in the knees he was. They buckled, colliding together with a sickening clack, and Jonouchi grimaced. Stars appeared in the poor once spirit's eyes and he leaned over, suddenly lightheaded.

"Yeah. You need sleep. Like, now." Jonouchi arched a wary eyebrow and caught his friend. Before Yami had the chance to protest, the taller grabbed his entire body and pulled the smaller over his back. "I gotcha, buddy."

If this were ancient Egypt, Atemu would have thought this was embarrassing. A pharaoh was never allowed to be touched unless he requested it, and it seemed all too embarrassing. However at this very moment, Yami could have cared less. His arms fit over Jonouchi's neck awkwardly, and with the width of shoulders in front of him, he was barely able to tie them together.

This was weird.

"You're light enough to do this to and I doubt you'd be able to walk across the pool without falling in. So as weird as you think it is," Jonouchi lightly teased, "you're not allowed to get away with it."

"…Thanks, Jonouchi." Yami sighed softly and buried his face in the other's back. He caught a glance of Yugi and Anzu from the corner of his eye. They stared back, possibly worried, but he was stricken with the horrid reminder of how tired he was both physically and mentally. His brain felt as if it were an empty shell, ridden of the core inside, and his body was as limp as jelly. Or his donut holes. Yami liked donut holes.

His eyes fluttered close, chest pressed sharply against one of Jonouchi's shoulder blades, and sighed. Twenty more days. Ten had passed, and his system wasn't working. Sooner or later, Yami thought as his mind pulsed belligerently from the sight of Yugi embracing the beautiful Anzu, something would have to give.

OoOoO

Yami was already asleep whenever Jonouchi entered the infirmary. He smiled, lying the once pharaoh down in one of the beds before tucking him in like an older brother to his younger sibling. It was weird how after Yami's confession how the blond immediately made it his duty to protect Yami. All of them had always viewed the once spirit as a strong, domineering young man, but even someone like him was still a teenager.

And being a teenager sucked.

Grinning lightly, Jonouchi looked at his handiwork and sighed. Shizuka and Yami were akin. He'd never imagined the young royal to be such a dorky mess, and yes indeedy, the tricolor-haired teenager had developed a reputation involving the nurse of Domino High School. The big-breasted, playboy bunny-worthy nurse, who was a little too close for comfort when it came to teenagers. Yami just happened to be one of the boys that were so appealing that it only seemed logical he and the nurse could be doing…things.

Well, the old Yami, anyway. Yami no Yuugi. The way Yami constantly had to go to the nurse's office whether it be for his kajillion and twenty-second bandaid or some Tylenol, the guy had the striking good looks to sweep any woman off her feet. And man. Rolling his eyes, Jonouchi took that into consideration, remembering that all of the girls he asked to the dance turned him down, in favor for Yami, who "was so considerate of helping her study and smiled a lot."

For such a mischievous young man, Yami Sennen was the epitome of all things geeky. And heck, Jonouchi wouldn't have known what epitome was had it not been from that handy-dandy pocket dictionary.

He rubbed his chin, suddenly uneasy. With a sigh, the pit of his stomach twisted into the lightest gear of envy. He did not know that the King of Games (or did Yugi and Yami share that title? Or did Yugi take it away…? Bah, who knew), but Yami was the only person on the face of this planet, even after the infamous Ceremonial Duel, who could provoke the moronic jackass of a CEO.

That fucktard held Yami on a high pedestal, whether Jonouchi was willing to admit it or not. And he really was jealous about it. Wait, why the hell was he thinking about it at a time like this?

Red scoured his face. Jonouchi examined the teenager he'd taken up as his little brother for the time being, and couldn't help but frown in disapproval. Yugi and Yami were close. And Yami rushed back to the locker room, pale in the face and upchucking like a woodchuck, Yugi hardly noticed. The blond supposed it was a little understanding. Anzu and he never seemed to leave the honeymoon stage of their relationship. If his buddy was happy, then he'd be happy.

Only problem was, that was one buddy. This buddy was sick in the face, pale, and too weak to walk. With a heavy sigh, he came to the realization class was already over and rushed to the locker room in order to change. Afterwards, Jonouchi staggered to the classroom with his mind pressed by how to make Yami feel comfortable. The once pharaoh said himself that he was out of his element. Yami was like every teenager on the face of the Earth: one young adolescent (another word his friend eagerly taught him) who was trying to find a place in the world.

"Where were you?" The teacher demanded without hitch as soon as he entered the classroom.

Jonouchi cracked a grin and nonchalantly shrugged. "Sorry Teach. Yami wasn't feeling well, so I took him to the infirmary."

And of course, their teacher was freaking out about her star pupil. Hot damn, Yami just had all of the girls in the school wrapped around his finger. "Is he okay?"

He caught eye with the student body, and grinned a little as the students looked up from their notebooks. They were at the edge of their seats, just to know what was wrong! "He'll be sleeping there for a while. The nurse doesn't want him to move."

A sharp wolf whistle could be heard, but he couldn't catch who did it. Instead, their teacher sighed, rolled her eyes, and they both knew this class period was going to be full of idiotic silence as she tried to explain logarithms.

Loggie-whatsits. Jonouchi arched an eyebrow as he got to his seat in the back, stretched his limbs, and got ready for a good hour of sleep. Yami could tell him what those things meant later. The royal midget memorized all of his textbooks in one sitting, after all.

Wait, what was this?

Jonouchi blinked, gaze plastered to the amethyst eyes ten minutes after class resumed, which went from intently "studying" the game packet hidden skillfully in his textbook to looking at the empty desk that used to be Anzu's seat and now belonged to Yami. He supposed the boy could have still been holding a grudge for being unable to sit next to his beau (damn, he needed to tally all the words Yami had taught him), but there was a hidden intent in his face. It seemed like ages since Yugi whipped out this gaze.

As in, right-before-and-right-after-the-Ceremonial-Duel kind of gaze, or I'm-not-going-to-leave-my-puzzle-in-the-fire kind of gaze. Yugi continued staring at the desk for most of the class period, so Jonouchi kept staring at him. Supposedly.

Finally, Yugi's eyes tore away, and the young boy tersely tensed, pink at the edges of his ears.

Jonouchi blinked. What was that about?

After the bell rang, Yugi was one of the last ones to leave, and Jonouchi didn't see him for most of lunch.

OoOoO

The nurse told him to take some pills.

Apparently, it was to help with any of the stomach problems Yami had while she was away for her thirty-minute break for lunch. He was groggy when she told him, but after checking both his pulse and forehead, it was decided he was too warm to do any activities, but too normal to go straight home. His throat, however, remained numb and tempted him to dry-heave when he had nothing else to puke up.

He huddled tighter in the covers, experiencing both hot flashes and cold flashes at the same time. Yami pressed his face into the pillow, on several occasions waking up and drifting back off to sleep all in a few minutes. His mind wasn't wrestling to keep memories away, but the overall effect was too much stress for his new body.

Mind of an old man, body of a toddler. He snorted during one of the times he was trying to get back to sleep, and wiped the sweat off his brow. It was frustrating. He'd never gotten sick during his past life as Atemu, and Yami no Yugi was simply a dead spirit. Others his age wouldn't be affected so harshly from simple fatigue or faint so easily. That was something both Atemu and Yami no Yugi would agree on. He was weak. And he didn't like it.

Yami let in a breath and shut his eyes, barely registering the door opening. He fluttered back into dreamland. Working out would have to be the last of his worries. The reason why Yami no Yugi was fit was because Pharaoh Atemu was an active king. He never sat down, broader than most despite his height because he was driven by his need to protect. His new body, however, was pure torture.

Somewhere in his sleep, he supposed he had a dream. His mind had been put into hysteria for hours (or at least, seemed like it) and Yami had yet to come down from his high. The bed beneath him depressed, and a hand worked with his hair until it was out of his face.

He muttered something utter his breath, so incomprehensible that even he couldn't understand it. Something about Mana, Mahado, and all of the others he cared about in his past life, but couldn't fully grasp. The hand from earlier pressed against his dirty forehead, and he was shushed until he was able to calm down.

Who was here? Yami stiffened, paranoid to let down his guard, and curled his fingers into the sheets. The light fingers cupped around his jaw, and carried his face forward until his lips were pressed against a glass. Sizzling could be heard from the liquid, and he sipped it gingerly before choking on it.

The voice shushed him again, but waited for him to calm down before drinking the rest of it.

"Alka Seltzer," muttered a familiar voice. Too familiar.

"Aibou." Yami mumbled. He laughed softly, almost bitterly, before trying to rub the exhaustion out of his eyes. How sick was that? Dreamland wanted to remind him how far away Yugi was from him in reality. He could barely see Yugi from where he sat, and wasn't given the chance as the younger boy pushed him into bed.

"Rest," said dream Yugi. Sweetly, but softly domineering. Just like Yugi always was.

He laughed and obliged. It reminded him of the days his partner would try to get him to calm down and lull his worries. Ten months and…however many days ago. They melded together, feeling like an eternity since the last time he saw his aibou.

Yugi sounded more content when the once pharaoh listened to him. His hand continued, traveling low to the small of Yami's bare back, and the red-eyed teenager shivered. He looked through his feverish flush, raising his head to make eye contact with his aibou. Yugi's only concern was to make him comfortable. And he was.

Now that he thought about it, he was able to actually touch Yugi, if given the chance. He would be able to hold him, and feel the warmth just as he did with each of his light's smiles. Only now it was only in his dreams.

Yami caught a startled Yugi's hand, sparks igniting in the allure of his eyes. "Aibou."

Yugi swallowed softly, but remained unfazed. This wasn't right. Yugi wasn't his. He had no ownership over the other teen, and the only person who did was Anzu. Not only would he be betraying the trust of his longtime partner, but he would also ruin the relationship the pair had between each other, and double-cross the woman who helped him discover his identity. This was a sin.

His grip was swatted away, and Yugi leaned over from his seat. They touched foreheads, and Yami felt the other palm his cheek.

"Mou hitori no boku," muttered the other in a soft tenor. When had it gotten so deep?

He had little time to think, as their lips meshed together, light and chaste. Dream Yugi's lips were warm. Heat radiated through his body, igniting everything from his chest to the nails on his toes. It stopped as quickly as it happened, and they parted with parallel gazes. Yugi's hand left his cheek, shyly shoved into one his pockets.

There wasn't a smile, but there wasn't a frown.

"Sleep," Yugi instructed softly. "You need it. And don't forget to take your medicine."

The once pharaoh blinked a few times. He rested his head on the pillow, eyes still on one Yugi Mutou. This Yugi was his Yugi, shy and bashful, but utterly adorable. This was the one he fell in love with. With a soft yawn, he shut his eyes, just as instructed, and dreamed a dream in his dream. "…I love you."

OoOoO

Yugi wasn't looking Anzu in the eye.

Yami first realized this after he got dressed and they were walking home to get ready for the prom tonight. His hand buried into his back pocket where the Dark Magician Girl's card lay. His bracelet tingled, constantly sending shocks through his body, but he ignored it. Yugi, however, he could not ignore. The teenager refused to look at either his girlfriend or partner, and every time he did, red would paint his cheeks.

He didn't question it because Yugi never talked to him. He had a hunch, but wasn't sure how to approach it.

"I had a weird dream when we were in the infirmary." Ah. So that was how.

"Really?" Yugi asked, but didn't sound too interested.

"It involved that funny word. Alka seltzer." The once pharaoh smiled softly. Yugi hadn't budged once, and he'd been hallucinating anyway. Whatever drug Alka Seltzer was, it was strong enough to mess with his brain.

"Cool." The other replied half-heartedly. Yugi shrugged nonchalantly as they got to the front of Kame Game Shop, and twisted his foot. "Take good care of the shop."

"I'm going to the dance. I got my ticket right before I left, aibou." Yami looked at him, surprised Yugi didn't even think he was going.

Violet eyes doubled in size. "Oh. Kay." Yugi shrugged before leaping into the house and rushing up the stairs with a healthy, "I'm home!"

Yami was after him, kindly taking off his shoes before entering the first floor. He only had enough to buy the ticket. An actual tuxedo like he was apparently supposed to wear, however, was something entirely different. All that was left in his wallet was a dollar. He supposed…he supposed it would be alright if he asked to scrounge the couch for pocket change, right?

No one ever needed the money, and the store down the street had a t-shirt that looked like a tuxedo. He liked that better than the many piles of apparel involved with an actual suit, anyway.

"Yami."

"Hm? Suzuki." Yami broke away from his plans and looked up, genuinely surprised as the mother stood in front of him, frown across her lips. "Is something the matter?"

"You've done all of the housework, cleaned all my dishes, attempted cooking dinner, rearranged everything in the game shop and helped my father repair the store counter." And broke three mops, two brooms, an entire jug of bleach, nine spatulas, four pairs of chopsticks, one blender, and eighteen action figures; all the while gaining seven burnt fingers and fifty-six new Pokemon Band-Aids.

"I apologize for breaking many of your things, Suzuki," Yami murmured softly. His eyebrows furrowed guiltily. He'd planned to use his next paycheck to buy her new house appliances, but the blender alone seemed like enough to dry out his source of cash.

"You did a perfectly fine job and never complained."

"It's the least I can do, if you are allowing me to stay."

"Yes, but you've done as much as a maid, and maids get paid." Suzuki laughed softly and shook her head. In her hand she revealed a white envelope, and placed it between Yami's fingers. "And I hear from Dad that you have a date. This isn't a lot of money, but it should be enough to get you a decent tuxedo and a bouquet of flowers for your date."

"That isn't needed," Yami replied automatically. He blinked, suddenly feeling the pit of his stomach boil with panic. He wanted to help the Mutous, not make them pay for anything he did unprofessionally!

"You're either taking it willingly or I'm forcing it upon you." She looked at him teasingly, smiling, before pressing her hands to her hips. "Go ahead, dear. I don't mind it one bit."

"I…I…" She was too stubborn of a woman for him. Yami sighed, thankful that he never married, and broke into a small smile. "Thank you, Suzuki."

"You're welcome." She kissed him affectionately on the forehead before making her way up to the kitchen. "Now get dressed and go tuxedo shopping. The dance starts in four hours, after all."

"Alright." Yami quietly nodded and pressed a hand where she'd kissed him. His mother was the last person to ever do that, and he was the age of four. It was…nice. He shivered as the memories prodded the barrier around his sanity and made his way upstairs. No time for puking. He made a note to pack any Alka Seltzer he could find in the house, and halted on his way to the guest bedroom.

Yugi was rustling through his things.

He knocked on the door lightly, and leaned against the frame once he caught the shorter boy's attention. "Anything the matter?"

"Can't. Find. Anzu's. Corsage!" Yugi wrung his hair in frustration. He paled in the face, shifting back and forth between his feet. "This is bad. Bad, bad, bad. Grandpa gave that money to me specifically to get everything perfect for the prom, and I…I ruined it!"

Yami blinked. "He forgot to give you some money." God, he was lying through his teeth. He hated having to face his aibou and not tell him the truth. Getting the very same envelope Suzuki had given him not too long ago, he held it out in front of Yugi once the teenager turned his way. "He says you've been doing well lately and that he's proud you're trying to make this a good night for Anzu. He wants me to give it to you."

"Seriously?" Yugi broke into a beautiful grin that Yami hadn't seen in what seemed like ages. He ran toward the door, hands held out like a small child, and took the envelope handed to him. "There's enough money in here to rent a limo for us, too!"

"He must be really proud of you." Yami chuckled softly and tentatively reached out to pet the teenager on the head, but denied the action. One step at a time. And right now, Yugi was more concerned with Anzu than he was with Yami.

"This rocks." Yugi grinned again, so giddy that he actually giggled, and sighed in relief. "This is…this is perfect. Oh gosh, I'll have to thank him, mou hitori no—"

Yami blinked. Yugi had stopped himself, suddenly staring with his face against the envelope. Violet eyes peered up to meet his gaze, stunned, before the door slammed in his face, words no longer exchanged.

He opened his mouth to speak before he finally got it. Did aibou almost call him mou hitori no boku?

Why...yeah. He did. His lips curtsied, suddenly brought into his own high, before Yami made his way to his bedroom. Without that money, he wouldn't be able to get a tuxedo. Yami would have to find his own kind of formal wear.

But that was okay, he thought as he rummaged through his closet. Yami's eyes landed to his glowing bracelet, where one charm dangled beautifully from today's events. It represented one word: nurture. Like a mother taking care of her child, or…a friend helping another friend with an upset stomach.

He broke into a small grin and softly laughed, one hand strummed around the Black Magician Girl's card. Six more charms to go.

OoOoO

Author's Note:

Well, I took an entire month to update, but it seems to get some of you reviewing. Shall I keep waiting that long and see what happens? :P I kid, I kid. Not much to say, other than the fact this heavily implies Yami's dream was more than just a dream. Anyway, thanks for all of your comments! I have this story planned and packed, but anyone have any requests? I'll be sure to add it if I like it. Or if you're the fiftieth reviewer. Whichever comes first. Huzzah!