Title: To Have and to Hold

Summary: After the Pharaoh's death, Jonouchi discovers that all Yuugi needs is someone to hold him. Jonouchi x Yuugi; shortie; post-series fic.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yuugiou, nor the characters, though I wish I owned Malik.

Pairings: Jonouchi xYuugi; implied Yuugi xYami

Rating: PG for kissing. Nothing naughty, no cussing, no eye-bleeding things.

Spoilers: Major spoiler for the ending of Yuugiou.

Notes: I started writing this around the beginning of summer, after listening to Maroon 5's "The Sun" and deciding I simply had to slash it. It ended up being less inspired by "The Sun" than I had intended. It didn't even start out Jonouchi x Yuugi- it was originally Jonouchi x Yami. Dunno how I was planning to work that out, since the Pharaoh was going to be dead by the time this takes place.

Gigantinormous!thanks to Cass, for helping me with this one! Everyone say thank you! n.n

Thanks to X-parrot, who kindly pointed out that I wrote "Jou" instead of "Jonouchi..." Bad authoress! -slaps self- I know better than to do that. -meep-

Don't forget to review and stuff. Please give me critique on this, if you can. I definitely like "I loved it!" but I love knowing WHY you loved it, even more. Or, tell me what you didn't like. If it's something fixable, I'll edit it- and you'll even get credit for pointing it out. -bribes you- So please, feel free to make a note of every little thing you see wrong with it, as well as what you see RIGHT with it.

Jonouchi follows Yuugi out of school this afternoon. Yuugi is staying with his grandpa while his parents are out of town, and has asked Jonouchi to come over. Jonouchi has agreed, and now their scuffed tennis shoes are slapping the baking-hot sidewalk, and the sun is beating down on his head, and he'd kill for a glass of water.

Cars and buses move slow as molasses through the ever-rush hour-packed streets, to congeal in the intersections and become a cacaphony of honking horns. He takes a deep breath, wishing for a cool breeze. There is none, and instead he inhales the oppressive stinging scent of exhaust and melting tar.

Wrinkling his nose, he looks up to see that Yuugi is up ahead, leaning against a tree with his thumbs under his backpack straps, one foot tapping impatiently. The sun strikes through the leafy branches, leaving spots of shadows on his best friend's body. He runs to catch up, feeling oddly detached as he mutters, "Sorry," and nods his head in the direction of the game shop. "Race you there?" His legs tense, and he's already planning how to run in such a way as to let Yuugi win, like he always does. But Yuugi gives a sharp shake of his head, and Jonouchi's shoulders drop.

It doesn't really surprise him that Yuugi's not in the mood for games. After all, it's only been three days since the Pharaoh left. The battle is finished, the door of memory is long closed.

Maybe Yuugi thought it wouldn't turn out that way. Maybe he hoped that no matter who won that final duel, the Pharaoh would stay with him. Whatever thoughts spun through his head three days ago, he still played to win. He laid down card after card, pulling the Pharaoh closer to defeat. And the Pharaoh had fought back, harder than any of Yuugi's other opponents, but Yuugi had still won. Maybe now he blames himself for losing the Pharaoh. For, in a way, he had killed him. Sent him into the abyss of dusty memories.

They have reached the game shop now. Yuugi pushes open the door, setting the little bell a-jingling. Jonouchi catches the door as it swings back, and steps into the welcome relief of air conditioning. Yuugi's grandpa is stacking foil-wrapped packs of cards on the shelves. He throws a package to Yuugi. "New shipment today. You can have these for your deck." Yuugi nods his thanks, and heads up the stairs to the guest room where he's staying. He drops his backpack on the floor. "You can have them," he tells Jonouchi. "The cards. I don't have any use for them now." He holds out the package, and not knowing how to respond, Jonouchi takes them and shoves them into his pocket.

There is a bulletin board hanging over Yuugi's bed. Photos of him and his friends are pinned there with multicolored thumbtacks. Only one picture of the Pharaoh remains; Yuugi has shoved the rest into the back of his closet. He can't stand to look at them, not yet. The photo that he's left there is of the Pharaoh sitting at the desk under the window. Jonouchi took that picture, just weeks ago. The Pharaoh is staring out the window with a faraway look in his eyes, and his head resting in one hand. Jonouchi wonders if perhaps he knew then what was coming, that he would be leaving so soon. Yuugi climbs onto his bed, and strokes that picture. He's blinking hard, and Jonouchi knows he's holding back tears. He pulls the card package out of his pocket. "You want to see what's in here?"

Yuugi doesn't answer. He's removed the Pharaoh's picture from the board, and now silent tears are running down his cheeks and splashing onto the photo. He whispers something that Jonouchi doesn't quite catch.

"What?"

"I said... I loved him, you know. It's hard not to become attached to someone who shares your body, your mind... Who lets you stay his soul room when you've had a bad dream... Who holds you and kisses you when you're scared and shaking from the shadows."

Jonouchi pushes nervous fingers through his sweaty hair. It's so hot in Yuugi's room. The fan in here is broken, so Jonouchi wrenches the swollen white-painted window open as far as he can, and rests his arms on the sill and his head on his arms.

Jonouchi doesn't like this feeling creeping into his mind. Half protectiveness- Yuugi could have been hurt, and he'd never bothered to ask Jonouchi for advice on safety- half jealousy. Yuugi had been kissing the Pharaoh, any time he wanted, and what had they done at night? Jonouchi isn't going to bring it up. It's really none of his business. Yuugi's his best friend, nothing, nothing, nothing more. It's not like he's ever considered kissing his best friend before.

And then he's not considering anything anymore, time is stopped, he's gotten to the bed (when did he leave the window?) it's only him and Yuugi and the heat and arms wrapped around a small body and the bed underneath, Jonouchi is kissing Yuugi and he doesn't care and Yuugi doesn't seem to care either, he's not complaining, after all-

"I'm sorry." Quick apology, half meaning it, half not caring if Yuugi wanted it or not, because it felt so good- and what the hell is he thinking, jumping on Yuugi like that? Yuugi's his friend, why is he not caring? Friends should care, but Jonouchi doesn't care right now.

"Say something," Jonouchi pleads. He does not like how Yuugi is looking at him- tears still trailing through the dust on his cheeks, sunken eyes blinking fast, and hiccuping sobs- Jonouchi wants to hug him again, so he does, and Yuugi buries his face in Jonouchi's chest and cries and cries and cries-

Jonouchi can do nothing but hold him and kiss him, because they are both scared of the shadows.

There is no one to chase away the darkness but the friendship and now the love, and Jonouchi thinks maybe they can get through this after all-

-if they have each other.