Yuugi shivered and turned the thermostat up. Winters in Domino City could be so cold, gosh darnit! He was already wearing a sweater with two shirts underneath, and still he felt cold. He rubbed his hands and went back to the kitchen. The water was almost boiling and he had bought some fresh green tea at the market earlier today, so this was going to be great. Atemu enjoyed the traditional Japanese tea ceremony very much and every now and then, they would visit a special teahouse that performed such ceremonies into detail. At home though, he'd have to do with boring teacups and a water cooker; such was life. He arranged the senbei crackers on a plate. A hot drink with a small snack had become a staple in their household; a light tradition when the days became shorter and darker. They both absolutely loathed the cold.
Oops, the honey, he couldn't forget the honey. Why anyone would put honey in their green tea was a riddle to Yuugi, but he let his old-fashioned Pharaoh do his bidding, of course. It was endearing to see how Atemu drizzled honey into his tea; not too much, not too little, with the utmost concentration. He also put honey in his yogurt, albeit much sloppier than his tea. He couldn't care less; if Atemu liked it, why not? In return, he didn't say anything about Yuugi's addiction to hamburgers, which he usually called "oversaturated fatty blobs". Well, after being together for almost fifteen years, you were bound to know each other inside and outside... and Yuugi and Atemu had known each other on levels far beyond anyone's comprehension.
Yuugi added the jar of honey on the tray and waited patiently until the water cooker was done. In the meantime, he fidgeted with the ring around his finger. It was made of massive gold and much too conspicuous to Yuugi's liking, but Atemu had been so proud and excited when he put it around his finger. Too bad they couldn't get officially married; he would've loved to say 'I do' loudly, in front of all his family and friends. It didn't diminish the meaning of their relationship at all, of course. Even though the majority of their circle of friends was married, Yuugi knew more than enough people living together without official papers, or being in a less conventional relationship.
"Aibou..?"
"Just another minute, mou hitori no boku!" Ugh, always when you were waiting for the water to boil, it seemed to take forever! Yuugi sighed. He checked his watch. In five minutes, their favorite game show would start, and he didn't want to miss it. If only... ah! There it was, the whistling sound that the water was boiling. With a loud 'click', the water cooker announced that it was ready. Pouring boiling water onto green tea was akin of a sin, and Yuugi poured the steaming hot liquid into another pot, so it could sit for a couple of minutes. He put everything on the tray and brought it over to the living room.
As always, when he caught sight of Atemu, especially after all their years together, his heart beat a little faster. This was the man of his dreams, the other half of his soul, the one he loved more than life and universe itself. It was so wonderful to see him; to see him breathe, laugh, smile, frown, think, sleep, eat, drink... every day was a gift from the Gods, literally, as they had granted him his own body. Yuugi was very grateful; who could've thought that with wishing upon finishing the Sennen Puzzle, he wouldn't only get friends, but also the love of his life? He wouldn't want to spend one second without his Other Self, and Atemu thought the same.
"Aibou, let me help you." He wanted to take the heavy tray out of Yuugi's hands, but he had already reached the coffee table and put it down.
"It's almost done," he said. Atemu left the tea preparing to him; Yuugi was in general better at the daily household chores than the former Pharaoh. "Has the show already started?"
"No, this is a commercial," Atemu pointed at a group of people who were very enthusiastic about a payment plan for the newest smartphone. Yuugi sat down next to him on the sofa and lifted the lid from the pot. After all these years of making tea, he had developed a good eye on estimating the water's temperature. Yeah, this was good. He carefully poured it into the cups or rather, over the green tea leaves in the ceramic filter in the cups. He covered both cups with a lid; it would only need one more minute to steep, as the tea was very fresh and new.
"I wished it was weekend already," Yuugi said. "So much work to do."
"And do not forget, we are having the Jounouchi kids over this Saturday."
"This Saturday? Oh, I thought it was the next! Oh my, and I was looking forward to sleeping in..."
He wasn't surprised by the kiss on his cheek. "Aibou, you can sleep in. I will take care of the rambunctious ones until you have finished resting."
"You're always up so early," Yuugi protested. "You should sleep in!"
"I do not mind." Atemu reclined into the pile of cushions on the sofa, ready to watch the game show. Its introduction was already playing when Yuugi removed the lids and the filters from the cups, leaving a bright green colored tea, smelling deliciously. He handed a cup to Atemu along with the jar of honey, so he could spoon it into his tea. "We promised Jounouchi-kun to help out."
"I wouldn't want to miss out on it." Yuugi smiled. Jounouchi had three sons who all had their father's energetic, wild nature and every now and then, he and his wife needed a weekend to just catch a breather. The boys, just like the children from their other friends, loved spending time with their 'uncles'; mostly because Yuugi took them to his office at KaibaCorp., where they could play games with the latest virtual technology to their heart's content. Funnily enough, Atemu was often targeted by the girls to take them shopping or to the latest ballet or dance performance in the city.
Atemu finished preparing his tea and Yuugi put the honey jar down. The game show host was announcing the candidates so he quickly moved on to his own tea; it didn't need to steep that long and he didn't want the taste to turn out too bitter. Yuugi folded his fingers around the cup and brought it close to his face, so he could inhale the typical scent.
"Delicious," Atemu said.
"It's really lovely, isn't it?" Yuugi admired the color of the drink before putting the cup to his lips and sipping, very carefully. So relaxing... he leaned a little backwards and settled against Atemu's chest. Such a perfect way to end the busy, hectic day on a positive, comfortable and cozy note. The first couple of candidates guessed the answers right and won an amount of yen. Yuugi and Atemu liked to play along and guess the answers as well, just for fun. Halfway through the show, Yuugi craned his neck to look at his Pharaoh.
"You want some more tea?"
"Yes, please."
Yuugi checked if the water was still hot enough for a second infusion. It was, so he repeated the entire procedure again. They usually had two cups each, sometimes one, depending on the mood. While he was waiting for the tea to steep, his thoughts went over the day and all the things he had to do tomorrow. They both held fulltime jobs, both working for Kaiba (and Atemu taking much more leeway with his hours than Yuugi) and contributing to the international game world, Yuugi as a developer and Atemu as a duelist. They filled their free time with their respective hobbies, social obligations and get-togethers and taking care of Yuugi's aging family, his grandfather and his mother. Baby-sitting and/or entertaining their friends' kids every now and then, maintaining the household and running errands... it was a very busy life, but Yuugi enjoyed every second of it.
The tea was done and he handed the cup to Atemu again. "I love it when we have an evening for ourselves," he said.
"Yes, we should plan this more often. Though I still think you work too many hours, aibou. Happy cuddling time with your boyfriend shouldn't need to be scheduled."
"You're right, you're right. There's just so much to do, so much I want to do..."
"Priorities, aibou, priorities."
"Listen, mister, just because you have the privilege that you can come and go whenever you want and duel whenever you please and still receive a hefty paycheck for it, doesn't mean that everyone has it as easy as you!"
"Easy? Easy?" Atemu repeated, mock-offended. "You know how difficult Kaiba can be, and I have to be at his every beck and call! 'Test this, Pharaoh' and 'Try out that, Pharaoh', just so he can enhance his beloved technology!"
Yuugi pursed his lips. "Awww, I'm so sorry. I didn't know it was that difficult for you."
"You are mocking me..."
"Have some honey, dear. To soothe all your troubles."
Atemu helped himself to some honey just like before and Yuugi put the jar on the coffee table again before reassuming his position.
"We're both very lucky," he said. "We have jobs we love, we have so many friends and family, we have each other..."
"Very lucky indeed," Atemu agreed. He kissed him on top of his head. "And delicious green tea every evening."
"Mou hitori no boku..."
"Yes?"
"I'm so glad you're here with me."
"Me too, aibou. Me too."
Utterly content, Yuugi leaned against him while they watched the rest of the show. As usual, they missed the end of the TV program as they were too busy cuddling and kissing, another ritual in their lives; not a day would go by without several "I love you's" and kisses. Yuugi didn't care if it was cheesy or cliche; he simply couldn't get through the day without an "I love you" from his Pharaoh. He knew it was the same for Atemu, though he was less vocal about it; but Yuugi noticed it in the care and attention and love in his touches, his kisses, and the way he was always at his side.
"We should go to bed," Yuugi whispered. "It's over eleven o'clock..."
"You are right." Atemu didn't move, though. Wedged between Yuugi and the comfortable pile of cushions on the sofa, he wasn't planning on getting up. Yuugi poked him.
"You need your beauty sleep."
"I am, by far, the most beautiful person around here."
"And, by far, the least modest."
Atemu showed him a sneaky grin. "You know me better than anyone, aibou. We should retire for the night, yes. If you would be so kind..."
"Yes, of course. Sorry," Yuugi mumbled and got up, so Atemu was free to move. Yuugi collected the cups on the table. "Oh! We forgot the senbei again! They go so well with the tea!"
"Tomorrow evening, perhaps?" Atemu hid a yawn behind his hand. "I will help you clean up."
"No, no, you go ahead."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. I'll be done in a minute." Yuugi received a kiss on the cheek and he watched Atemu going upstairs, to their bedroom in the attic. He took the tray with the crackers and the empty cups to the kitchen and quickly cleaned everything up. As he flipped the light switch, his last look was on the tea box on the kitchen counter top. It had been a gift from Anzu and her husband: a fairly heavy, mahogany box with 'tea' in gold leaf characters engraved on the lid. He had told her already, but it wouldn't be bad to repeat it again: how much they enjoyed the green tea, kept perfectly fresh by the box, what a beautiful gift it had been. Even something simple as sharing a hot drink on a cold winter night made him almost sappy and emotional. Yuugi secretly laughed at himself. These were his small, private moments.
He turned the heat down and hurried upstairs, where his Pharaoh was waiting for him in a warm and comfy bed.