FicWad

It was, as usual, a typical day in California. But on this day, something exciting was about to happen...

It was night now. In his studio, Nick Lachey rubbed his hands together, put his headphones on, and then started the music. Soon, he began to sing...

Watch my life
Pass me by,
In the rear view mirror
Pictures frozen in time
Are becoming clearer
I don't wanna waste another day
Stuck in the shadow of my mistakes

Yeah...

As Nick launched into the chorus, Yugi Moto, his alter ego, Yami, Marik Ishtar and Tea Gardener were wandering the halls, searching for the source of that music.


[Chorus]
Cause I want you,
And I feel you,
Crawling underneath my skin
Like a hunger,
Like a burning,
To find a place I've never been
Now I'm broken,
And I'm faded,
I'm half the man I thought I would be:
But you can have what's left of me

I've been dying inside,
Little by little,
No where to go,
But going out of my mind
In endless circles,
Running from my self until,
You gave me a reason for standing still

[Chorus]

I'm falling faster,
Barely breathing,
Give me something,
To believe in
Tell me: It's not all in my head

Soon they came to an open doorway. They peeked inside. What they saw almost blew them away! There, sitting in his studio, singing his heart out, was none other than...Nick Lachey!

Take what's left
Of this man
Make me whole
Once again

[Chorus]

I've been dying inside you see
I'm going out of my mind
Out of my mind
I'm just running in circles all the time
Will you take what's left
Will you take what's left
Will you take what's left of me?
Just running in circles in my mind
Will you take what's left
Will you take what's left
Will you take what's left of me?

When the music faded and Nick took off his headphones, he heard the sound of clapping. He looked up...and smiled.

There they were.

"I knew my music would call you," he said.

"Nice song," said Marik, "but who's it about?"

"It's about my feelings after I divorced...her," replied Nick. His shoulders began shaking. Yami, who was quick to respond to another's grief, walked in and put an arm around Nick's shoulders.

"Ah," said Yami Yugi, "you mean your ex, Jessica Simpson."

"Yes. I miss her so badly, Yami. If I had known this was going to happen, I would've..."

"Oh Nick, my friend, there was nothing you could do. Divorce happens in this culture."

"I know," said Nick, nodding.

For the rest of the night, after the others had gone to bed, Yami stayed up with Nick, comforting him as best he could.

Nick later wrote in his diary,

"Yami, one of my friends, came in today as I was recording one of my songs for my album 'What's Left of Me'.

I told him about Jessica, as well as how much I missed her. And he tried to comfort me. Well, he succeeded somewhat. Yami's presence is such a comfort."

A few days before the divorce between Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey was finalized, Nick
shot the video for the sad ballad I Can't Hate You Anymore.

"I will always miss her, Yami," he said while sitting in a booth in Kentucky Fried Chicken with Yami.

Yami, who was eating Popcorn Chicken, nodded thoughtfully. He swallowed and said,

"I know, Nick. I don't think the pain ever goes away. It's always there, eating away at you."

Nick was surprised. Yami was...so...thoughtful about divorce and marriage and things like that.

He wondered how Yami got that way, and asked him.

It turned out that Yami had been studying. And he had learned a lot from going to weddings for marriage, court proceedings for divorce, and watching lovers for romance.