Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ If the World Doesn't Want Me ❯ Redemption ( Chapter 6 )

He left me all alone ... I can't trust him, and yet I love him. Am I a masochist? He tossed in his slumber, a frown marring his features as he threw his arms around the pillow under him, squeezing it as tightly as he could, as though his life depended on it. It was a display of one seeking comfort, and his frown remained as he received none. Slowly, one violet eye opened, shot through with intense pain and loneliness. Atemu ...? He sniffled, pulling the pillow closer to himself. I'm sorry; please don't leave me alone, Atemu. I don't want to be alone anymore. I'll never blame you again if you just come back. He sniffled, burrowing his face into the soft mass of the pillow, spine stiffening as a hand was laid gently onto his back.

I haven't gone anywhere, little one. Soft lips pressed against the bare skin at the back of his neck, and a warm figure was soon pressed at his side, pulling him into a tight and comforting embrace. I would never leave you, and I would fight anything that I must in order to keep you at my side. His fingers ran through the smaller teenager's hair as the boy slowly released his death-grip on the pillow, pulling his face away from the soft fabric to turn wide, fearful violet eyes onto him. A reassuring smile met the terrified gaze, and thin arms were immediately thrown around him as Yuugi again sought comfort.

They lay together like that for what could have been eternity, for all that the former pharaoh could care; in his opinion, even an eternity of Yuugi held safely in his arms would never be enough. He wanted their time together – their warm moments when it was just the two of them – to last forever, with no interruption.

"I will be your hero, if you'll lean on me tonight," he murmured, fingers still brushing through Yuugi's hair; he felt a soft puff of air from Yuugi sighing blow gently across the skin of his neck, and smiled. "I'll keep you in my arms, so everything's alright."

"Mm ... I like that song," the boy whispered, and Atemu smiled again, brushing a kiss onto the frightened teenager's forehead. Violet eyes peeked up again before Yuugi buried his face into Atemu's neck. "Why did you let that happen to me, Atemu? Why did you let him hurt me like that? I was ..." His voice lowered with each word, until the former pharaoh couldn't even hear his voice; the only way that he heard the voice was through listening to Yuugi's thoughts as the boy spoke. "I was so frightened that you wouldn't come for me, that I would die because I was a fool for trusting you so blindly. So scared ..."

"Yuugi ..." He rubbed the boy's back lovingly, keeping him pressed against his chest. "My little one, my love ... I will always come for you. No matter what happens, no matter what situation we are in, I will always be there to find and protect you. I promise this to you." He felt hot tears hit his skin and held his young love closer, trying his hardest to soothe the teenager. "No matter what happens, I'll be here."

It took many sweet nothings whispered into Yuugi's ear along with the gentle caresses along his spine for Atemu to finally calm the boy enough that he could look up at him. "I'm sorry ... I'm so sorry that I doubted you." He reached up, wiping at his tears frantically, embarrassed that he was being so weak over what he knew was just his mind overplaying the situation. How could I have been so stupid as to listen when that voice told me that he wouldn't come? I knew he would, and I still doubted; how can I deserve his kindness and love after that? He leaned closer, actively seeking the warmth provided by the man that he had come to love so easily; his eyes scanned the room that they were in, and his brow furrowed in confusion. "Atemu, where are we?" His eyes drank in everything around him; perfect, golden walls surrounded him, and the bed was large and extravagant. It was like something straight out of every history book he'd ever had to look at.

"This? This is ... where I'm most comfortable," the other said in way of explanation. "We're here while you recover." His lips pressed onto Yuugi's softly before he pulled back some to examine the boy carefully; an easy smile touched his lips again before he motioned around himself. "This is ... well, save for some modifications I made to materials, it's pretty much what my bedchambers were like. It seemed a fitting place for us to relax."

"Ah ..." Yuugi blushed, looking away before shifting uncomfortably in his love's arms. "And ... why don't I have clothes on?" A light blush tinged his cheeks as he spoke.

"Oh, that ..." He grinned at the soft giggling from Yuugi, ruffling the teenager's hair some before letting his hand slide down to the other's back again. "You needed to be cleaned up, and then I didn't want to disturb your rest too badly, so I just ..."

"Figured you'd enjoy the view?"

A rich chuckle escaped him, and he pulled Yuugi into a gentle kiss, teeth nipping lightly at his bottom lip before Atemu pulled back. "Something like that." His hands ran down Yuugi's body, and he delighted in the feel of the boy's skin – once again smooth now that his mind was healing – under his touch. A smirk touched his lips as a shiver ran down Yuugi's spine at each passing moment of contact, and he couldn't help but lose himself a bit in the power that he currently held over his younger love's body and mind. However, he was brought crashing back to reality when Yuugi's entire body stiffened as his hands began to reach much more intimate areas.

"Please ... I'm not ready for that much yet." Immediately, the taller teenager's hands stopped roaming and moved back to Yuugi's waist, arms wrapping around him in a warm embrace as they pulled closer together. "So ... why silk?" An ebony eyebrow rose elegantly at the question, and Yuugi pulled nervously at the sheets a bit. "Why did you modify them to be silk? It's ... not something they had in your kingdom, after all."

Atemu chuckled again before placing a kiss onto Yuugi's lips and tapping a finger very lightly on his little one's nose. "I guess I just liked it when I felt silk for the first time as ... well, as you. It's more luxurious than the linens of my time, after all." He ran a hand across it before grinning mischievously at Yuugi. "I'm sure it feels really nice against bare skin while involved in more, how should I say, intimate and sexual activities, too." His grin widened as Yuugi blushed deeply to the roots of his hair.

"What a dirty mind you have."

"Only when my thoughts involve you."

"And how often don't they?" A laugh escaped Yuugi's other self, and he smiled, glad that he could bring himself to partake in such playful banter. A moment later, a realization hit him with the full force of a truck, and he pulled back some, staring at the other, curiosity shining in his wide, violet eyes. "Wait ..." An eyebrow rose at him in silent question once again, and his own eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. "Why are you calling me 'little one' again, anyway? Didn't I ask you not to?"

Atemu had to hold himself back from laughing outright at the question, and instead smiled at Yuugi. "I don't mean it as an insult, Yuugi." The smaller boy raised an eyebrow at him, skeptical; shaking his head, he chuckled softly. "I could never say such a thing as an insult, Yuugi, nor would I ever want to. After all, it's not as though my own size is so great, now, is it?"

"You're avoiding my question."

"Mm? Well, perhaps I am," he said thoughtfully, pulling Yuugi more snuggly against himself and burying his face in the boy's hair, reveling in the scent. It was something of a strange combination, really; at first, all that assaulted his senses was the sweet and almost powerfully intoxicating scent of honey, but after a few moments, it became interwoven with the fresh scent brought by a spring breeze and – much more faintly than the first two - the almost biting spice of cayenne. Yet, despite the fact that the combination seemed as though it would be rather off-putting, Atemu found it highly intoxicating; somehow, on Yuugi, it just worked.

He was interrupted from his reverie as Yuugi poked him in the stomach; he laughed softly at his love's impatience before brushing his fingers through the soft mass of hair. "If you must know, it's ..." He paused, seeking the right word. "I suppose you could say that it's chivalry, in a sense; my way of vowing to protect you against anything, through the endearment I use for you. If you truly don't like it, I could stop, but ..." A gentle kiss was placed onto Yuugi's forehead before he pulled back, crimson eyes looking directly and firmly into violet. "Yuugi, one should always protect those important to them and those smaller than them, and I will always protect you regardless of what I call you by."

He shook his head, chuckling softly as he did. "Besides, the fact that you're smaller than me also means that you fit very nicely against me." In demonstration of his point, he pulled Yuugi closer to himself, so that Yuugi's head was nestled very neatly against his shoulder, tucked just so under his chin. "I love you, my little one, my Yuugi. Nothing is going to change that."

"You ... really mean it?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

Violet eyes closed as a nearly blinding smile broke free from Yuugi, and he snuggled closer to the former pharaoh, much more at ease than he had been when he had awoken. "Thank you." The only response came in the form of nimble fingers entwining in his hair again, and Yuugi sighed contentedly at the sensation it sent through him. His eyelids grew heavy, and he murmured sleepily, "Will my soul room ever be okay again ...?"

Atemu didn't stop his actions, feeling that Yuugi needed comfort more than words. "It should fix itself, I think." A soft sigh, an indication of Yuugi's relaxing at the words, responded, and Atemu shifted some to look at the other's face, noting the closed eyelids. He watched for a few moments more before noting the even breaths of his beloved partner. He ran his fingers through the soft bangs again before murmuring, "It will fix itself as you recover. The more at peace your mind is, the more that it will heal. It will be just fine, my love, and I will make sure it stays that way." He placed another gentle kiss onto Yuugi's forehead and settled in, content to watch his little one sleep.

Yuugi had been asleep for the three hours before Atemu had finally shaken himself from his stupor and left his side, allowing his young love to peacefully rest and recover. The spirit who had once been known as Egypt's morning star had decided that it would not be a good idea to worry the teenager's grandfather needlessly – he was rather certain that he had done an exceedingly good job of worrying him the night before by going straight to Yuugi's room upon arriving home, after all – and decided to go outside for a while. His intentions had been to merely take a walk.

He hadn't expected for his little mystery of the past week to suddenly land in his lap as he was walking. Really, he wasn't even paying attention to anyone around him, so it had come as a complete surprise when he nearly ran right into Yuugi's two obnoxiously loud, overbearing, and popular classmates – quite literally so, in fact.

To his great relief, neither seemed to notice as he stopped short in his walking and veered quickly to the side in order to avoid them; they seemed much to enthralled by each other to really be able to notice anything at all, he was quite certain. He paused once he was at a suitable distance, looking around himself carefully to ensure that no one could see him before leaning nonchalantly against a tree and watching the two out of the corner of his eye. He knew that it was impolite; in fact, he knew that it was downright wrong, but he felt that, if he didn't find out just what was happening, he would explode with anticipation and wonder.

There was something about the way that the two seemed to hold each other's attention so completely that really caught his focus, however; the way that they stared into one another's eyes, oblivious to all surroundings. It wasn't so difficult to do that in the area of the park where they stood, as it was enclosed on three sides, and few people walked to it. That was part of what had drawn Atemu to the area in the first place; he didn't want to be around too many people at the moment, preferring to remain solitary while his partner recovered. He had found the spot through Yuugi's book of memories, as it was his greatest method of obtaining knowledge on the world where he currently resided.

That alone had made it surprising that Jounouchi and Honda had come to such a place. He didn't expect that the two would be much for areas of such solitude and silence, as they seemed to always be the center of attention at school. If nothing else, it was an interesting change that he hadn't quite expected to see, and that intrigued him further.

As the two moved, however, he quickly realized just why they had decided to come somewhere that they felt they could be relatively alone. The look in their eyes finally became very evident, and he almost kicked himself for not recognizing it earlier; it was the same look that was held by Yuugi's captivating violet eyes whenever the boy looked at him. It was a look that he was almost positive was reflected by his own crimson orbs.

Love. Or, at least, as close as any could find at such a young age; that was something that Atemu had taken a bit to wrap his mind around, that being sixteen was considered 'young' in this time, whereas one would already have been considered a man at such an age in his time.

Perhaps there was something to Anzu calling them attached at the hip, he mused, a knowing grin forming on his lips. It hadn't so much been that Yuugi's friend had known that these two were involved in something deeper than friendship. He was rather positive that they tried their hardest to keep it from the public eye, in fact. However, he had come to recognize at a young age that women sometimes knew such things without needing to be told; he had come into contact with such knowledge quite often thanks to the high priestess, Isis.

He watched them with interest, more due to his curiosity at how couples acted in public in this time – it was a sort of taboo in his own time to be too affectionate to a lover in open sight – than anything else. Silently, he berated himself for considering them a couple so quickly; for all he knew, he had seen the look wrong, or was reading into things too deeply. I'm probably just seeing things because Yuugi is ...

He paused in his thoughts, keeping himself from thinking anything at all for a moment and just feeling for if he had disturbed his little one's slumber. After a few minutes, he was certain that Yuugi was still resting peacefully, and he looked back towards the boy's two classmates. He supposed that he might have been reading into things too much; Yuugi was on his mind more than anything else, and he could have just read into what he saw simply because he wanted to know what a couple could act like.

That was, until it hit him once again that the two were focused almost too completely on each other. He realized that he must have been there for a while - a quick glance at the watch he had put on told him that it had been nearly forty-five minutes – and the two still had not noticed his presence, whereas they seemed to always notice him at school.

Still, he pushed the thought from his head, until, moments later, Honda reached up, hand clasping lightly on Jounouchi's bicep before moving up to his face; the backs of his fingers brushed lightly over the blonde's cheek before he pulled his hand back. Atemu noticed easily from where he was just why the brunette had pulled back.

At the gentle touch, Jounouchi had winced.

It wasn't really the most extravagant action; in truth, it was barely noticeable, and Atemu was positive that he wouldn't have even seen it at all if he hadn't been paying as close attention to them as he was. However, that just made it even more intriguing.

His curiosity was piqued when he heard Honda whisper almost urgently, "What did he do to you this time?" The blonde had just shaken his head, however, and pulled away for a moment before turning back with an almost cocky grin. It was the most obvious cover-up that the former pharaoh had ever seen, and he was almost positive that the brunette knew it for what it was, as well.

"It's nothing big, Honda. Just lighten up a bit, would you?"

"Too overbearing for you, huh?"

Whatever it was that was bothering the blonde, however, Atemu knew he would not find out here. The two seemed to have a bit of a code, from what he could tell, and when a line was crossed, the subject would be dropped. This seemed to be one of those subjects, and while he knew that Honda was likely to eventually find out what was wrong with Jounouchi – that was plain to him as he began to realize just how involved their relationship was – Atemu also knew that he would not be quite so privileged. He supposed it shouldn't have bothered him the way that it did; Yuugi had told him that it was impolite to eavesdrop in the first place.

He continued to watch the two, looking for an opportunity to leave without being noticed; it wasn't even so much that he didn't want to deal with their attitudes. It was really because he was sure that this was a 'moment' that they didn't want anyone looking in on, and he supposed that he should feel worse than he did for watching in on it. It was a very private affair, after all.

And yet he couldn't tear himself away, no matter what he tried to tell himself. He supposed that it was fair play, in a sense; they were among those who constantly had their eyes on him at school. Interesting how Jounouchi follows my every move usually, even though he's in this relationship. He leaned against the tree more firmly, watching the two again as Honda's arm wrapped around the blonde's waist. One would think that holding such a flame while seeing someone is detrimental. Though I suppose I could just be reading into things.

"You'll tell me if he does anything too bad, right?"

"Feeling the need to be a hero, are you?" Their laughter floated towards him, growing fainter as the two began to walk away. He breathed a sigh of relief as the two finally left his sight, and he began to start on his way back home finally. He didn't notice as the two popular students parted ways, the blonde moving in the same direction that he would be.

He did, however, notice when Jounouchi stopped in front of a bar and leaned against the wall. He paused, not getting too close, just watching. After a few minutes, a man walked out from the building, and Jounouchi hailed him with what seemed to be a curt word, but Atemu wasn't close enough to hear. Something about the man set off a warning in him, though; he wasn't entirely sure just what it was, but he knew that something was not right about him.

His suspicion was confirmed when the man turned towards Yuugi's blonde classmate, eyes blazing in anger. Somewhere deep within him, further than it normally was and less coherent due to him not being in his own soul room, Atemu felt rather than heard Yuugi's thoughts. Protect, stop, help! The teenager's desires hit him hard, and he knew that Yuugi was right; while he had promised not to purposely meddle, he had told Yuugi that he would interfere if something landed in his lap; this was as close to something landing in his lap as one could get. He started forward, just as he heard Jounouchi refer to the man as 'father.' Moments later, one arm was pulled back, aiming for a punch to the blonde.

It never connected. Instead, Atemu's hand was wrapped firmly around the man's wrist in a death-grip. Confused, unfocused eyes turned to look at him, and he almost retched at the heavy scent of alcohol that permeated his senses; the scent enveloped the man in a sort of fog that was almost visible. Even in my time, I never once met anyone who would indulge in such a way.

Brown eyes locked onto him, shock written into them; Atemu was sure that, beyond not expecting anyone to stop his father from hitting him, the blonde especially would not have expected him to be there as the one to step in to rescue him.

"No father should ever raise his hand to his child." The man growled at Atemu's words, and the only response to the sound was an elegant, ebony eyebrow arching upwards; his very manner seemed to ask the man to answer the question of if he felt lucky. "Leave." With more strength than he seemed to possess in his small frame, he pushed the elder Jounouchi back, watching the man stumble for a moment before he managed to get his feet under him; he seemed to sway away, though to where, Atemu was unsure. He didn't really care at the moment, however.

"Mutou ..."

"Save it. Your words aren't really necessary; I would have done it for anyone." Without even so much as a glance towards the shaken blonde, he turned to leave. I'll finish with him later, though. I'll make sure of that.

"Mutou! What the hell are you?" The words were shouted after him, but they fell onto deaf ears; Jounouchi continued to stare after him as he walked away.

He liked it in the darkness. It suited his personality very well, and it held none of the annoyances that the light would for him; it was much easier to surprise someone in the dark, where they could not see who was coming.

Except for him, of course. He knew the darkness well, and he was likely to know that someone was near him within it. It was his domain, and he knew it as well as he knew the back of his own hand.

People tried to keep things from him, but it never worked very well in the end; they always told him everything that he wanted to know, with only a simple prodding from him. They really had no choice in the matter, after all. He enjoyed that immensely; the manipulation, the mind games. They were akin to a child's playground to him, and within said playground, he was king.

That was how he'd found out about the pharaoh's return to existence. Just enough prodding, and those who had been trying to keep the information from him had folded quickly. They said that they were doing it 'for his own good,' but they had no idea what was good for him.

Revenge. That was the only thing that would be good for him. It was his salvation.

He should have felt bad for using them as mere dolls, he supposed, but he couldn't bring himself to. It was their own fault, in the end; they had withheld crucial information from him, and he'd been forced to use whatever means he had to get it. It was almost as though he were prying it from cold, dead fingers. Well, in a way, I suppose I did in one case, now, didn't I?

All that he needed now was the proper time and plan, and he would have everything that he both wanted and needed. His freedom, his power; all of it was within his grasp, and all that he needed now was to take the final steps towards making it his forever. He would do it, he could do it; he had to.

He knew what he could do in order to set his plan into motion. It was simple, really; there was someone who would act as the perfect pawn for his plans. The boy was entirely too trusting and innocent; no one would ever suspect him of being a part of such a 'cruel and vicious act.' All that he needed now was to get to where the boy was.

It helped matters that said boy was already in a perfect position for all of his plans to be set into motion. They had tried to keep that from him, as well, but a simple 'meeting' with the boy's father had been all that he needed to garner the location of the one that he needed for his plan.

It had been too perfect that the boy happened to be in the same city as the pharaoh that he so despised. Fate simply couldn't have been in his favor any more than it already was with that small piece of information. All that he needed to do was get the boy onto his side, and the rest would fall into place quite simply. He'd be merely a puppet for him to pull the strings of, eager to do whatever he wanted of him. That's an interesting prospect ... rather useful in many ways. He was pretty, after all.

He shook his head, dismissing such thoughts quickly. They would only get in the way of his work, and he had too much to do; he could not afford such distractions just yet. But ... perhaps when everything is set in motion ... A cruel smirk formed on his lips as he entertained the thought. He'll be a perfect little pet for me once I have everything that I want. Once I have all of that power, he'll stay at my side as my personal slave, whose thoughts will revolve only around seeing to my pleasure. That would work very nicely.

He looked at the paper on the table in front of him carefully; it held the directions of where to go to meet up with the pharaoh, and where the boy was located. He'd also scribbled his own personal notes onto it of just what he would have to do while there. It was simple, really; almost too simple, which made him wary. He was sure that there would be something to throw a wrench into his plans, and so he was making certain to take precautions to ensure that things would go properly.

He frowned, tapping the table lightly in frustration as he thought of something; the last that he had heard, the boy had one of them. The Ring, if he recalled correctly. Granted, it would prove rather useful if he could get his hands on it, and the boy could be invaluable if under his control. He'd be able to seek out the other five with ease that way. Or, four, really. Once I take care of the pharaoh, the Puzzle will be mine, as well. Perhaps that will be my first command for him; he won't be able to stop himself from handing it over, I'm sure. He smirked knowingly as he folded the paper up, placing into his pocket and standing, leaving the room so as to prepare for his trip; it would be 'purely business,' of course, but he would have so much to do, regardless.

You don't deserve anything you have, pharaoh. And somehow, in some way, I will take it all from you.

"Where are you taking me, Atemu?"

Amused crimson eyes were turned onto Yuugi, and he smiled at how adorably confused the teenager looked with a black scarf covering his eyes – a makeshift blindfold, as Atemu was unwilling to put a real one on the boy so soon after everything that had happened. He chuckled some as Yuugi's hands reached up to pluck some at the new shirt that he had been given, as though he were unused to the feel of the material so close against his body now; he had been undressed for quite a while, after all.

"That's a secret, little one." His arms wrapped warmly around Yuugi's waist, and he chuckled again at the delighted squeak that emanated from his young love. "It will be much nicer this way."

In truth, he was surprised that he was able to give Yuugi this surprise so soon; he had expected the boy's recovery to take longer, and was shocked to discover just how resilient his young partner really was. His lips brushed against the smooth skin of Yuugi's cheek, and he smirked knowingly at the gentle shiver that ran down the boy's spine. Their softer, more romantic moments seemed to mean the entire world to Yuugi, he'd come to realize, and he intended to give the object of his affections as many of those moments as he possibly could.

Yuugi's confusion gave way to an adorable smile that practically lit up the hallway, and Atemu found himself hard-pressed to not press the boy to the wall and kiss him soundly; the only thing that stopped him was the fact that he did not want to ruin the surprise that he had for the boy, and if he waited too much longer in getting him to their new location, the effect would be destroyed. His hands moved to Yuugi's hips, forcing his partner to walk in front of him to a door that stood ajar. Looking around, Atemu smiled to himself before placing a gentle kiss onto Yuugi's cheek and removing the blindfold, whispering, "You can look now, my love."

Slowly, vibrant violet eyes blinked open, taking a moment to adjust to the dim lighting before looking around to take in all of the surroundings. A soft gasp escaped him, and he turned to look up at the former pharaoh in awe. "Atemu, this is ... how is it ...?"

"Your recovery went much more smoothly than I imagined," came the simple response, followed by a gentle, chaste kiss on the lips. "With your recovery, your soul room returned to normal; I noticed when I got home and came to see you. So ..."

"You set this all up."

Atemu nodded just as Yuugi pulled away from him to slowly make his way around the room. The only lighting came from the lit candles that his other self had placed around the room, lending the entire room a hazy, romantic air the likes of which he had never experienced before. The bed was adorned with deep crimson sheets that Yuugi was almost positive were silk; if he weren't loathe to leave Atemu's side, he would have checked immediately, but he was sure that he would be finding out soon enough, anyway. Covering the sheets were red and white rose petals, strewn in what seemed to be both a haphazard and yet carefully planned manner all at once; the petals also trailed onto the floor, creating a pathway to the doorway.

"It's beautiful."

"It pales in comparison." Violet eyes widened at the words whispered into a pale ear, and Yuugi looked up at the other in confusion, only to have his lips claimed again, this time as the start of a much deeper kiss. He yielded easily, allowing Atemu full reign, and was quickly rewarded by first a gentle nibbling on his lower lip, and then a hot, wet tongue running over it, soothing any discomfort that his love's teeth may have caused. However, after mere moments, that same tongue had slipped past his lips and his parted teeth, touching lightly, teasingly against his own before it retreated and Atemu broke away from him, releasing him from the warm embrace and instead taking Yuugi's hand lightly in his own.

Yuugi pouted, though it was mostly in jest as he allowed himself to be led to the bed, observing as though spellbound as Atemu dropped onto it in the most relaxed lounging position that he had ever seen before pulling him down on top of himself. "This is all for you," he whispered into the younger teenager's ear. "Everything that I do is for you, and always will be." He brushed a thumb over Yuugi's cheeks as the boy blushed, slowly leaning forward and pressing their lips together once again.

"You really didn't have to ..."

"I know."

Yuugi shifted, wrapping his arms around his pharaoh's waist, head falling into place on his shoulder as he closed his eyes. "What did you do while you were out?" The question was perfectly innocent and curious; he had vague glimpses of Atemu's actions from that day, but nothing really concrete. It had been strange to him to be in the other's soul room, as it didn't have the same window to the outside world as his own did. Nothing came to him in flowing streams, but, instead, it was all small, jagged pieces; it had reminded him of a puzzle, but one that he would never be able to find every piece to on his own.

"I went for a walk, just for some fresh air and to clear my mind." Nimble fingers wove through the gentle, spiked mass of hair on Yuugi's head, and crimson eyes closed, content. "To the park, that is. I ... found out something rather interesting."

"Hm? What's that?"

He chuckled at how dazed – drugged? – his beloved's voice sounded as he asked his question. "It's about two of your classmates. Those two; Honda and Jounouchi." The distaste in his voice would have been nearly visible had the two had their eyes open; Yuugi himself shivered at the mention of those two particular names. He'd never had good experiences with either boy, as they both liked to stick their noses in where they didn't belong, and had a tendency to ridicule him for his preference of games over sports and the like.

He pressed closer, pressing his lips to the skin of Atemu's neck for a moment before pulling back ever so slightly. "What about them?"

"Hm. Do you remember how Anzu jokingly calls them 'attached-at-the-hip'?" At the gentle nod that he felt against his shoulder, he continued, "She may have been more correct with that statement that even she had anticipated."

Yuugi pulled back suddenly at that, eyes snapping open as he stared at his other self in shock; crimson eyes opened slowly to look at him, disappointment and concern painted heavily into their gaze. "Are you serious?" A nod. "How? What, did you see them together?" Another nod. "You watched them?" A third nod. "Atemu! But you said you wouldn't ... oh! For how long?!"

"Hm? Nearly an hour, I think it was."

"Atemu!" His voice was nearly a shriek now, and the former pharaoh found himself hard-pressed to keep from chuckling at how insanely adorable his little one could be when offended by an action. "Eavesdropping is wrong, and you promised you wouldn't do it! How could you?"

"It's not as though I went with the intention to spy, my partner," he said reasonably, reaching up to run his fingers through Yuugi's hair again. "I didn't even notice them there until I'd been stopped for a while, and then it'd been difficult to leave; they would have noticed me if I'd tried to, and it was rather entertaining, I thought."

"That's besides the point."

"I'm just telling it like it is. Or, was, rather."

Yuugi sighed in frustration, apparently knowing when he was fighting a losing battle. "What did you do after that?" he asked, voice tinged with hopelessness, as though he were speaking to a lost cause.

"I had the displeasure of seeing Jounouchi's father on the walk home."

"Displeasure?"

Crimson eyes seemed to grow unnaturally dark at this newly broached topic, and Atemu's voice was suddenly filled with contempt and anger. "I didn't imagine that people would raise a hand to their child in this time, little one. I don't approve of that, especially when there was no fault on the part of the one who would be harmed." Yuugi looked confused for a moment before his eyes lit up in recognition.

"That's what I'd seen! I couldn't really put any faces to it or anything, but I saw a man who was dangerous ... and I saw 'familiar person,' but couldn't place them." Atemu raised an eyebrow, and Yuugi blushed as he realized that he'd begun rambling. However, he continued at an encouraging nod from his other self. "I felt that there was danger to this 'familiar person,' and I wanted to help them."

Atemu nodded again, understanding now. "And your wish came through to me."

"You helped him?"

"For now, but it was only temporary. I may have to do something more in the future." Yuugi gave him a look that seemed to ask how soon it would be, and he smiled sadly at his young love. "The sooner that it is done, the better that it is for everyone."

"I understand," Yuugi said, though concern touched his every word. He honestly wasn't quite sure why he was concerned, however; if the danger that he'd felt had been from Jounouchi's father to Jounouchi, the man should be dealt with accordingly, after all. It was only proper, as it really wasn't right for anyone to harm their child in any way. He shook his head, smiling some. "Was there anything else that you did?"

"Not really. Well, I did set this up."

"Ah, of course."

"Mm, and I thought about a few things, but nothing really pressing just yet." He grinned, rolling them both over so that he was now leaning over his beloved partner. "I think that I have something much more important to take care of right now." He leaned in, pressing his lips onto Yuugi's once again.

"Hm? Like what?" A playful grin as slender, pale arms wrapped around Atemu's neck to pull him closer; their mouths sealed together in another kiss, open to each other so that tongues would be free to play amongst one another. Yuugi moaned softly as Atemu ran his along the roof of his mouth, and then pressed in deeper, probing with an intense search and desire, almost as though he intended to make them into a single entity with this single kiss. However, just as Yuugi felt himself swimming in sensations, his other self pulled back again, looking at him worriedly.

"Are you sure that you want this?" Yuugi blinked for a moment before noticing the desire and lust mixed into the love-filled crimson gaze that was fixed onto him; a slow nod was the only response that he could bring himself to give, words failing him.

It was more than Atemu needed as their mouths found each other once again.

School had been rather amusing in its own way that day, as ironic as the fact may have seemed. The moment that he had arrived in class that morning, there had been shouts for 'Yuugi' to join into the celebration for class 1-B being the most successful class in the spring festival; he had accept the congratulations of the other students, but had sat himself at his desk rather quickly. He had, however, noticed that many students were also complimenting Anzu's dancing, and he was glad to see the joy spread over her features at their kind words.

Yuugi had also been ecstatic at hearing the compliments to his long-time friend; he had gone on about how much she deserved such comments as he and Atemu had listened to the other students speak.

Another interesting moment had been when Jounouchi had entered the room, just minutes before the bell would ring. He'd glanced over at 'Yuugi' for a moment, eyes filled with gratitude for the briefest of moments before an unreadable mask settled over his features. It slipped for the briefest of moments when Honda placed a hand over the blonde's upper arm in greeting, however; Atemu noticed the briefest of winces and felt his blood boil as he realized what likely happened.

His speculations were placed on hold when the teacher – Chono-sensei, he remembered - walked in, followed by a familiar, white-haired boy; he had been surprised at first, before remembering that the boy he had met two days earlier had mentioned that he hadn't started school yet, but that he would be soon. He didn't pay much attention as the boy was introduced to the class and told where he should sit, losing himself in thoughts of what had occurred during and after his first meeting with Bakura Ryou. He was pulled from those thoughts when the kind, shy boy stopped in front of his desk with a warm smile and mentioned that he was glad they were in the same class before continuing on to his seat.

He was sure that it had gone hadn't gone unnoticed by anyone.

The day was filled with whispers and rumors after that. Not the best way to enter a school, Atemu was sure, and he truly felt sorry for Ryou.

You really shouldn't have pawned him off on Anzu, you know, Yuugi berated as he walked; school had been over for ten minutes, and Ryou had rushed to him almost as soon as the final bell had rung, asking if they could walk together, soon followed by Anzu, who had mentioned that she usually walked home with 'Yuugi.' Seeing the opportunity, Atemu had introduced the two as quickly as he could before suggesting that the two walk home together and get to know each other; he had apologized for having to rush off, saying that he needed to get home to help 'his grandfather' with the game shop. Anzu had said she understood, while Ryou had looked at him with a mixture of confusion, wonder, and awe sparkling in his gentle brown eyes.

I won't do it again, little one. Tomorrow we can walk home with the both of them, but today ... He frowned as he walked, looking around himself. When Yuugi had fallen asleep the night before, he had searched for an address that he would need, though he had hoped that it wouldn't have been the case quite so soon. Taking note of the signs, he nodded to himself before taking a turn and continuing on his way. I would have today, but something important came to my attention this morning, before Ryou showed up in class.

Jounouchi, you mean? The lack of response told Yuugi all that he needed to know, however, and Atemu felt the faint sigh from his partner as Yuugi pressed against him. Just be careful, Atemu. Please.

I will. He stopped, standing perfectly still for a moment and closing his eyes, allowing himself to feel Yuugi more fully; slender arms seemed to wrap around him, and he felt Yuugi's face pressed against his neck for a moment. Are you alright with this, little one? I know that I promised I wouldn't do anything like this without your approval.

He does deserve it.

No further explanation was necessary; Atemu broke the more intimate contact as he sent a wave of apology to his little one, continuing on his way. It didn't take long for him to reach the apartment complex that he needed, and he made his way inside carefully, briefly thinking through the address that he had looked up the previous night before making his way up to the apartment that he needed.

Thump, thump, thump.

Three hard knocks on the door, followed by silence as he waited for someone to answer; he crossed his arms over his chest and tapped his foot impatiently as one minute, two, three passed by.

Finally, the door opened, and the man from the day before stood there, glaring at him. "What do you want? He's not home, so go find him wherever he's fucking around wasting his time." An ebony eyebrow rose, disapproving of both the words and the tone; he knew that the man likely expected for him to be there searching his classmate, considering the uniform.

It wasn't as though he hadn't foreseen such a reaction, however.

"I'm not here for your son, Jounouchi-san," he practically hissed out the honorific, showing that he clearly didn't feel that this was someone who deserved to be treated with the respect that such a hailing would signify. He barely deserves to be called a sentient, living being, let alone a human.

Dark, slightly unfocused eyes turned onto him, and it was clear that this man had no idea who he was speaking to, nor did he seem to remember the encounter from the day before.

"Then what the hell do you want? I'm busy, and I'm not giving to whatever crap fundraiser you're here about."

"I'm not here about a fundraiser, either," he said coolly, placing his foot against the doorframe, just in case the man decided to attempt to shut the door. "I'm here to settle a score. Filth such as you deserves apt punishment, after all, and I'm the one who will make such a thing possible." He pushed the man with very little force at all, not surprised to see him stumble back some; his inebriated state was apparently one of few consistencies this 'man' held.

"What the – the fuck are you talking about?" Anger touched each word that he spoke, along with a slur from the likely heavy amounts alcohol that Atemu could tell he had consumed recently, judging from the nauseating scent that poured off of him. It was so strong that one would almost think that the man bathed in beer and whiskey.

Atemu didn't answer him, however; instead, he closed the door behind himself and continued further into the apartment, looking around before finding two clean glasses and an unopened bottle of red wine. He looked at it with a raised eyebrow, not having expected to find any sort of wine in the home of one who abused alcoholic beverages the way that this man did – he seemed the sort who didn't quite have the refined tastes of those who savored wines the way that Atemu himself had in his time – but shrugged at the discovery, opening the bottle and taking a sniff at it. He quickly wished that he hadn't, for even the smell of it told him that it was far from being anywhere near decent. It will have to do, I suppose. He frowned at the thought, but took it to the table along with the two glasses, filling both halfway.

"Sit, Jounouchi-san," he commanded, glaring at the man as he spoke with the same distaste as he had earlier. "You're to play a game with me; it's simple, really. We will sit at opposite ends of this table, and before each of us will rest a glass of wine." He motioned to the two glasses as the man warily came over and sat in the chair at the opposite end of the table; he wasn't entirely sure on why the man seemed so complacent, until he realized that he had already brought out the shadows before he had intended to. That was a mistake. Oh well, it made things easier, at least. He looked at the man evenly before taking his seat. "We will both have to reach for our glass once this game begins. However ..."

"'However,' what? I don't have time for your childish games, so hurry and be done with it!"

"Shut up and you'll hear. The winner of this game will be he whose desires do not get the better of him. The one who wishes only to overindulge his lust of drink will be faced with many obstacles; the one who manages to control those urges will be faced with few to none. Be warned, though, the worse that your urges become, the more likely you are to fall into a vicious trap that might even cost you the hand with which you reach. The first one to successfully obtain his glass and bring it to his lips for his first sip of the wine will be the winner. Should you lose, however, Jounouchi-san, you will be forced to play a penalty game."

"You call this a challenge?!" the man spat out, immediately reaching for the glass. "I'm not impressed by your fancy talk, you goddamned little cockroach! If I want the drink, I'll get the damned drink." Atemu raised an eyebrow at him as the shadows closed around them both. Almost as soon as they did, a ring formed around the man's forearm; the open space of its center was large enough for the man's hand and the glass to get through, if he were careful not to move too much as he drew the glass out. The inner edge of the ring was a sharp razor.

A low growl emanated from his throat, and he kept moving his hand forward. "Your stupid lightshows mean nothing." His eyes shone with a sickened wish for the alcohol, and almost immediately, four knives shot out from the shadow at perfect forty-five-degree angles from each other, suspended in the air and forming a box around his forearm, closer to the glass than the ring. Another growl, another glint in his eyes, and Atemu felt Yuugi wince within him and look away as the man grabbed onto the glass just as it grew jagged splinters that cut into his hand.

Finally, Atemu calmly reached up and made a move for his own glass; slow, calculated movements that spoke an indescribable grace. His hand closed around the smooth surface of the glass, and he calmly brought it back to himself with no difficulty. He raised an eyebrow at the fuming man as he raised the glass to his lips, crimson eyes closing and he took a small sip; at the same moment that the dry, almost rancid wine – in comparison to any he'd had as pharaoh of Kemet, and in comparison to any greater wines of the current time, he was sure – touched his tongue, he heard the unmistakable sound of glass shattering and liquid hitting the wooden surface of the table. Shards of glass splintered into the hand and wrist of Jounouchi's father, the four knives fell, nicking the man's arm, and the razor ring shattered, also splintering into the his forearm.

Atemu leaned back in his chair, placing his glass calmly onto the table and opening his eyes. "I believe you asked if this was a challenge; for me, perhaps not so much. Something as cheap as this 'wine' would never tempt me, but for you it was a deathtrap waiting to happen, wasn't it?" He smirked, standing. "One such as you – a man who would harm and take advantage of his own son – deserves to be knocked down and punished. Until you atone for your own crimes, you will live in that punishment. That is your fate."

"Why you ..."

"I told you, Jounouchi-san, your loss means participation in a penalty game. That is what occurs to any who lose a game within the darkness of the shadows. You lost, and now you must pay the price of admission!" He raised his left hand, holding it palm-out to the man. "Penalty Game! Blurred Emptiness; live within the world where the words of all who speak to you become slurred beyond recognition, the world where no amount of attempts will allow you to see clearly. Enjoy your time in a life where no amount of drink or food will ever remove the emptiness that you feel. A fitting punishment for your overindulgence and crimes; you'll be unable to do anything to harm your son, and the only way back to our world is if that part of you is dead."

Are we done, my other self?

Yes, love. We're done here. Your classmate will be safe now, so – His thoughts cut off, however, as the shadows dissipated and he noticed two pairs of brown eyes staring at him incredulously. Well, shit.

"What the hell is going on here?!" Jounouchi looked from the table covered in shattered glass, metal, wine, and knives, to his father's bloody arm, to 'Yuugi,' trying to figure out just how everything fit together. The words that he'd heard the boy speak, the almost ethereal tone in his voice, had sent the strangest shivers down his spine.

"Nothing to concern yourself with, Jounouchi," Atemu said simply, walking around him. "Though you may want to clean your father's arm up; it would seem that he may be rather incapacitated for a while and unable to do so himself."

"What the hell did you do?" Honda demanded, grabbing onto his shoulder and forcing him to turn around. "And what are you doing here?" Atemu raised an eyebrow again, almost amused; if he didn't know any better, he'd almost say that Honda seemed more annoyed with the fact that Atemu had gotten to Jounouchi's father before he did.

"How did you even know where I live?"

"It's not so difficult to look things up, you know. Now, if you'll excuse me ..." He tried to turn, but the grip on his shoulder did not loosen, keeping him in place.

"You're not going anywhere until you explain to us what the fuck is going on here, what you did, why you're here in the first place, and what the hell you are!" Jounouchi seemed completely spooked as he spoke – nearly shouted, really.

And this is why I was hoping to finish before anyone showed up ... Atemu thought to himself as he tried to figure out the least incriminating way to answer the 'questions.' He felt Yuugi's consciousness press against him worriedly and sent a wave of reassuring comfort to keep him from growing too concerned; he then prepared to face the music, as it were, and give his response.

The door slammed open just as he opened his mouth, however, and all three teenagers turned to see who was there; not a single one was left unsurprised at the white-haired teenager that they saw standing there, looking much crueler and infinitely more calculating than he had at school and when Atemu had run into him a couple of days earlier after the festival. Disinterested brown eyes scanned the room before coming to rest on the golden, inverted pyramid puzzle hanging around 'Mutou Yuugi's' neck, and a vicious smirk settled onto his lips. "So we meet again, bloodthirsty pharaoh. But this time, revenge and victory will be mine."

Disclaimer: Yuugiou is the intellectual property of Kazuki Takahashi. I do not claim any right to the series or its characters, and I should probably apologize for the hell I'm likely to be putting them through in this story.
Other Note: I'm very, very sory for this chapter taking so long. I got hit with massive writer's block for about two months and was unable to come up with anything decent. I hope that what I finally decided on for this chapter doesn't disappoint people too badly.