A Sorta Fairytale, pt. 3 - "and I knew then it would be a life long thing"



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"Don't forget, Mutou, I want that improved design on my desk before the end of the day, got it?"

"Yes Kaiba-ku..-san, Kaiba-san," Yuugi said, nodding to the tall man at the head of the table, laptop in front of him, fingers deftly clicking at the keys. He knew he was dismissed as soon as the words had been spoken, reminding himself at the very last moment to refer to Kaiba as '-san' instead of the more informal '-kun'.

Even though Yuugi and Kaiba had been through quite the adventures together, it didn't make them friends - at least, not in Kaiba's book. Nonetheless, Yuugi was one of the very few people Kaiba tolerated to address him with the '-san' honorific in public. Any other employee of Kaiba Corporation didn't even dare to think of using something less than a '-sama' in respect to their CEO.

"I expect your report before the end of the day, Nakari," Kaiba continued, not looking up from his laptop. "I want a full-detailed description of your latest additions, and clarifications of the test results."

"Yes, Kaiba-sama." The impeccably dressed man next to Yuugi quickly rose from his seat to bow to his employer. Yuugi showed Nakari Suzomi a warm smile - they had worked together on several projects. Recently, Kaiba had been striving for the launch of a new gaming console and had assigned Nakari to lead the development team, with Yuugi in charge of the software. With his unique knack for and experience with gaming, Yuugi's designs were greatly applauded and anticipated. The development team worked extremely hard to meet the deadline of the launch.

Kaiba wanted to leave his competition speechless for a long time to come. The gaming market was difficult at the moment, and despite his innovating holographic technology, it was even difficult for Kaiba to keep his leading position. Yuugi had no doubt that the tall CEO would come out on top, as usual; Kaiba had the business instincts and a great (and expensive) team of developers, researchers and designers at his disposal. He idly toyed with his pen, waiting for the meeting to be disbanded.

He didn't have to wait too long. Kaiba all but ordered everyone to leave the room, and Yuugi quickly collected his paperwork, stuffing it together with his laptop in his suitcase. He had never imagined himself with a suitcase. More so, he had never imagined a career like he had now to begin with. Nakari waited at the door and walked next to him through the large hallways of Kaiba Corp. headquarters. He was one of the few colleagues Yuugi interacted the most with, and also one of the few genuinely friendly people around in the large building. A lot of Kaiba's employees were fixed on themselves and their projects and not really open to interaction, unfortunately.

Yuugi pushed the button to the elevator, heaving a small sigh. It was easy for Kaiba to demand an improved design before the end of the day - before the end of a very, very long day. Nakari smiled a little sheepishly, knowing that Yuugi was thinking of all the work he still had to do.

"Keep me up to date, Mutou-san?" He asked, wanting to talk details through before handing in his own report.

"All right, Nakari-san," Yuugi answered and bade the man goodbye, hopping into the elevator to ride the way up to his own floor.

The day Yuugi graduated from Domino City University and was looking forward to take a few weeks off, both Pegasus and Kaiba had called him, offering jobs and bidding on him as if he were a lot in an auction. Otogi had been right, in hindsight, even though it had confused Yuugi why exactly both CEO's wanted to have him. On one hand, he found himself in a sheer impossible and luxurious position to choose between jobs. On the other hand, Yuugi knew that whoever he would choose, he would more than probably anger the other.

Atemu suggested that Yuugi should work for the person he felt more comfortable and at ease with - Pegasus, who he hadn't seen since Duelist Kingdom and was known for his eccentric, flamboyant behavior, or Kaiba, who he knew from school and everything they had been through - Battle City, Doma, the Kaiba Grand Prix, the Memory World - and who was far more distant. Both CEO's had their own advantages and disadvantages; Yuugi weighed his options long and seriously before making a choice.

It came as a total surprise to his friends and family that he decided to work for Pegasus and his Industrial Illusions. Yuugi favored the core business of I2, focused on designing, developing and the 'heart' of games, over Kaiba Corp's technology: the latest consoles, platforms and holographic 3-D systems. Over time, both companies had become rather interwoven, to the point of occasional cooperation to keep both their respective positions in the market. Yuugi found himself working for, or rather with, Kaiba more than once, leading him to have an office at both headquarters.

His office at I2 was rather cramped, filled with cartoon-y memorabilia and an old fashioned arcade slot machine, whereas his office at KaibaCorp was spacious but sparsely decorated - the interior decoration reflected the heart of the two companies. For this particular project, Yuugi spend two days a week at KaibaCorp and the rest of his workweek was spent at I2. This project was the biggest collaboration between Pegasus and Kaiba so far; if this simultaneous launch of console and games proved to be fruitful, their grip on the market would be more solid than any separate achievements.

When Yuugi reached his office, his secretary Fukata Sasuke, greeted him.

"Mutou-san! I'm very happy you survived the meeting!"

"Me too, Fukata-san," he chuckled. It was a running gag that Kaiba fired at least two people at every meeting, but Yuugi had yet to see the CEO lose his temper and fire someone on the spot. "Any messages?"

"Here they are, Mutou-san," the woman answered crisply. "I have taken the liberty to adjust some meetings to match your work schedule. You can find every change bookmarked in your agenda."

"Thank you." Yuugi leafed through the message slips. He went into his office and flopped down on the large couch. He was still baffled as to why he had one of the largest offices in the building; only Kaiba's was larger, disposing over a bathroom and a bedroom, conveniently providing everything in case its occupant needed to work late - which in Kaiba's case, was almost every day.

Yuugi's paycheck described him as a Software Engineer, By all means, he should've ended up as a drone slaving away in his cubicle instead of having his own, very nice office. It might have something to do with his infallible success with games, Yuugi mused. He only had to take a look at the glass display case in the right corner to be reminded of the awards he had won with his innovating, uniquely designed games.

As he took his cell phone out of his pants pockets and flipped it open, he glanced at the clock. Three in the afternoon. Usually it was Atemu who called him, a tradition he started from the very first day Yuugi attended university. Often, his call or text message was a more than welcome break between the long, tedious meetings.

"Home," Yuugi said as he flopped on the couch. The speech recognition software immediately dialed the number. He reclined into the comfortable cushions, waiting for the phone to be answered. He didn't have to wait long.

"Moshi moshi?" A very young girl's voice rang into his ear.

"Who am I speaking to?" Yuugi asked in return, lowering his voice a little so his daughter wouldn't recognize him immediately.

"Mutou family, Mutou Tzuziko speaking!"

"Why hello there, Tzuziko-chan!"

"Hikari Papa!"

"How has my bright little daughter been today?"

"We went to the zoo," the girl said enthusiastically. "I almost fell into the lions' cage!"

"What? The lions' cage? Let me guess, you wanted to pet them to see if they would purr just like a kitty?" Yuugi asked, amused yet terrified. Tzuziko was a veritable 'researcher', as Atemu called her. Their little girl was extremely interested in finding out the how and what, action and reaction, the reason behind how things worked, and she wouldn't stop at nothing until she knew the details, not satisfied with an explanation until she put it to the test herself. "You have to be careful, Tzuziko-chan."

"At least I saw them up close," she said triumphantly. Yuugi had to stifle a chuckle. He could only imagine the look on the teacher's face before plucking her away from being so close to a dangerous animal. Atemu would probably have lectured her sternly for hours about the danger of ignoring signs and warnings, and disobeying - or rather, scaring - the teacher. Education was near holy to the former Pharaoh, and he wouldn't take it lightly if Tzuziko had made things difficult for her teacher. She sounded far too cheerful, though.

"Can you get me Yami Papa, sweetheart?" Yuugi asked, unable to hide the amusement in his voice.

"Yaaaa~aaaaaami Papa! Hikari Papa on the phone!"

Yuugi winced, not only from the sheer volume, but also from the loud "clunk" as Tzuziko dropped the horn unceremoniously on the side table. He heard footsteps and other noises he couldn't identify, before the horn was picked up again.

"Good afternoon, Hikari Papa." As always, Atemu sounded steadfast and confident, calm and collected, warm and reliable. Yuugi couldn't get enough of his voice. "How was the meeting?"

"It was awful! Kaiba-kun wants the new design this afternoon! It's going to be so much work, and he wants it now now now!"

"Well Kaiba is smart enough not to launch a console if there are not any games available for it yet," Atemu said. "However, he should not push his team to unreachable limits. I guess this means you are working late?"

"At least he pays well for overtime," Yuugi answered sourly.

"With only... what was it... three weeks before the official launch, he darn better pay well for all the overtime he is putting you through." Yuugi heard the silent reproach Atemu would never speak out loud: You took on too much work, aibou. Next time, stop being so kind to say 'yes' to everything and do not allow someone to abuse your expertise and ideas or to involve you in their projects and make you do all the work while they sit back and relax.

"All right, give me a call as soon as you head home," Atemu continued, "so I know when I have to put dinner in the oven."

"You're so cute when you're acting so domestic, mou hitori no boku," Yuugi blurted out.

"Yes, yes, I miss you too, aibou."

"So many hours until I see you again…"

"You have a picture of me on your desk."

"Mou hitori no boku…"

Atemu yielded and chuckled. "Aibou, soon it will be weekend… you will see me all day long! Besides, we see each other every night."

"Oh, shut up," Yuugi said. "I just want to see you now, and kiss you… I wish you worked here."

"I doubt Kaiba would like to handle two Mutous," Atemu deadpanned. "It is better for the both of us if you are the one bringing in the money, while I slave over a hot stove for my beloved and well-praised partner and award-winning game designer."

Yuugi pouted and wanted to make a kissy-face at the phone, but remembered at the last second that it didn't have a video screen.

"Knowing you and your uncontrollable behavior to protect your territory, you would overthrow Kaiba in no time and turn his company into Pharaoh Corp.," he joked and was promptly startled by a firm knock on his door. That would be either his secretary or Nakari, and he didn't want to be caught talking about private affairs. After a quick goodbye, Yuugi jumped to his feet just in time as the door opened.

"Kaiba-kun?" He couldn't keep the surprise from his voice when he saw the other stepping into the office. With no other people around, Yuugi immediately fell back to the more informal '-kun'.

"Yuugi," the other answered sourly, his gaze sweeping over the tidy, large room. The strange thing was that Kaiba reverted to calling him 'Yuugi' when no one was around, opposed to the more distant 'Mutou' in public. "Have you finished the new design yet? It's imperative that it's finished today."

"We still have three weeks," Yuugi protested.

"That's three weeks too short," Kaiba snapped. "We have promotions set up all over the country, huge press-conferences and a contest coming up! There's a lot riding on this launch, I want everything to be in perfect working order! We can't afford mistakes!"

"Yes, Kaiba-kun," Yuugi said. What else could he say? He wanted the new console to be a big success, just like Kaiba, and he could only imagine the pressure on the other's shoulders.

"How are things at home?" Kaiba brusquely changed the subject. His gaze was directed at Yuugi's desk, the one with the framed pictures on it. Yuugi's eyes went wide. It was nothing like Kaiba to ask something this personal. He was notorious for his status as bachelor. Every new relationship, no matter how short, was a source of entertainment to every gossip magazine in town. Yuugi couldn't imagine how it felt to live with such media pressure. Secretly, he couldn't help but think that a nice, loving significant other would do Kaiba more good than focusing exclusively on running his business - but on the other hand, this was Kaiba Seto.

"Everything goes well," he answered truthfully. "Mou hitori no boku has the shop to maintain, with sales going slow but steady, and the kids are a handful…but it's all worth it."

"You adopted another one, huh?" Kaiba snorted. He knew of course, as he had approved Yuugi's paternity leave himself. Kaiba Corp. took great pride in its extended employee benefits; leave of absence was granted in case of a newborn or an adopted child.

"Kazuo-kun is a little over two years old by now," Yuugi said proudly, his head turning to the right, towards his desk. The large golden frame prominently featured a picture of himself, Atemu, Tzuziko and little Kazuo; cliché perhaps, but Yuugi couldn't care less. His family meant everything to him. He wondered what Kaiba's intentions were, as he didn't think the CEO had come to visit him for small talk.

"Still at home, huh?"

It took Yuugi a minute before deciphering to what Kaiba was referring to, though he should have known. If there was anyone Kaiba stubbornly refused to call with his first name, it was Atemu. For reasons unknown, Kaiba never called him "Pharaoh" or "Atemu" or even "Other Yuugi". To his own embarrassment, Yuugi still hadn't dared to ask Kaiba as to why he did that.

"Mou hitori no boku is still at home, yes." A smile tugged at his lips. He knew what Kaiba wanted to know: if Atemu wanted to or was going to return to the gaming world one day. Both Yuugi and the former Pharaoh had left the dueling competition behind them years ago. Atemu had never touched his deck again after losing the Ceremonial Battle. In his year traveling around the world and winning every competition imaginable, Yuugi had taken the same decision. Upon his return home, he put away his deck, to never touch it again unless for a friendly duel with Atemu, and even then they used the board game, not the Duel Disks. It brought back memories and a fond smile on both their faces, especially when playing their mutual favorite card: the Dark Magician.

Kaiba had left professional dueling soon after Yuugi had retired, claiming to solely focus on KaibaCorp.. His three Blue Eyes White Dragon cards were framed on the wall in his office. A persistent rumor was that Kaiba had retired because there was no one, especially after Yuugi had said his farewell, left or good enough to offer him a proper challenge. The card game itself had decreased significantly in popularity over the years. There were still circles of hardcore duelists around, but the game itself simply didn't have the same impact as it used to. No more large tournaments were being held, let alone competitions involving prize money. New games and consoles, like Kaiba was about to launch, had taken its place.

"If he's happy playing for housewife," Kaiba snorted, "then let him spend his time at home."

"I'm not sure if mou hitori no boku is… suitable for an office job," Yuugi coughed behind his hand. "He's very happy with the children and the store."

"You don't sell games anymore, do you?"

"No, only antiquities," Yuugi said, amusedly looking at Kaiba. "Ancient things."

"Hm," Kaiba snorted again, "that's no way to end for a duelist."

"Kaiba-kun, if you want to duel him, or me, you can always call…"

"Don't forget about the console design," Kaiba interrupted him and turned to leave the office. "I want it on my desk as soon as possible."

He was out the door before Yuugi could answer.


It was late, way past usual business hours when Yuugi stuck his key in the front door of the house. The store was long since closed, the blinds shut, and no light but a small one just above the door. He was tired, completely worn out. He had managed to hammer out a good, solid design with Nakari to meet Kaiba's demands, but now he felt ready to pass out. Turning the keys around, he opened the door, heaving a sigh in exhaustion. Finally Friday! He had a weekend ahead of him. He startled when he realized he wasn't alone in the hallway.

"Kaa-san?"

"There you are, Yuugi-kun," his mother answered him, showing an apologetic smile as her hands left the vase with flowers she had been rearranging. Mutou Yusuke hadn't changed over the years, be it for a small, constant shimmer of sadness in her eyes. After the passing of her father, Yuugi's grandfather Mutou Sugoroku, and barely any word from her husband, life seemed to take its toll on her. Yuugi didn't like it how his mother was often silent, despite her obvious joy and pleasure helping out with her grandchildren.

"Atemu-san is in the kitchen," she said. "We've been waiting for you."

"Kaa-san, it's way too late for the kids," Yuugi protested as he put his coat on the rack. Her smile warmed, always growing fondly whenever the children were mentioned.

"Just go to the kitchen," she said and her hands went back to the bouquet of flowers.

"Hikari Papa!" Tzuziko interrupted them both. "You are eighty-five minutes late!"

Of course she would rather count the exact minutes that he was late, instead of spontaneously fling herself into his arms. Yuugi bend a little and opened his arms, and she came towards him to answer the hug, albeit awkwardly - Tzuziko simply wasn't the hugging kind of person.

"Hikari Papa, I want a lion," she said.

"I know you've been giving your birthday a lot of thought," Yuugi said. "But we really don't have room for a lion, and they're dangerous."

"Not if I take care of him, Hikari Papa," the girl answered, dead serious.

"Tzuziko-chan, a lion is not suitable for our home." Yuugi put a kiss on her nose. She scrunched up her face. She seemed to frown a lot more than kids her age. "Besides, they're not suitable pets. A Hello Kitty for example…"

"I don't want Hello Kitty, Hikari Papa," Tzuziko all but spat out. "They're stupid and…" She wanted to say more, but kept silent when her brother crawled into the room.

"Kazuo-kun!" Yuugi immediately picked the toddler up, who crowed with delight. "It's way past your bedtime, little man!"

Kazuo flailed with his arms and barely missed Yuugi's head. The young boy was slightly underdeveloped and uncoordinated; he wasn't able to walk yet, even though he should for his age. Born to an addictive mother and unknown father, he'd been quite ill, spending the first twelve months of his life battling the drug addiction in his system and a very nasty pneumonia. He was given u pfor adoption and at fourteen months, a little older than Tzuziko had been, Kazuo came into the Mutou family, welcomed with love and proper care. However, his behavior was still erratic, as he was developing a very quick temper and used aggression to get his emotions across. In his good moments though, he could be just as happy and kind as any other baby.

"Hikari papa," he blurted out, using the same way to refer to Yuugi as his sister.

"Hey little guy," Yuugi said and cuddled him. Immediately the boy started to wail as if he had been hurt, even though Yuugi had been very careful. It was one of those moments that Kazuo could turn 180 degrees in just a second and there was nothing anyone could do about it. The adoption agency had recommended having 'lots of patience' with him. Kazuo wailed and struggled to get out of Yuugi's arms. In a split second he didn't know what to do and was about to put Kazuo back on the floor, when Yusuke took him out of his hands. Kazuo immediately calmed down. She bounced him on her arm a little and shushed him, making funny noises to which he started to laugh adorably. Tzuziko didn't comment, she was observing as usual.

Yuugi heaved a small sigh and walked into the kitchen.

"There you are, mou hitori no boku," he said, a wide smile appearing on his face.

"I am sorry aibou, I am running late," Atemu said. "The last client took longer than I expected. I am afraid it is going to be just chicken teriyaki tonight."

"You know I eat everything you make." Yuugi closed the distance between them. He wrapped his arms around Atemu and rested with his face against his back. "Or we could call for take-out."

"No hamburgers for you, aibou. I am done in just a minute." Atemu finished stirring in the large pan and at the same moment, the rice cooker chimed. Yuugi kept leaning on him and Atemu didn't show he was a bother.

"Kaiba yelled at you?" He asked.

"Just a little. Something with designs and gaming platforms… I don't want to talk about work now."

"All right, aibou. Just remember, if he crosses the line…"

"You know Kaiba-kun," Yuugi said, "he always crosses the line. He's Kaiba Seto, there are no lines for him."

Atemu chuckled. "I get the point."

He turned around to return the hug, and Yuugi looked up, tilting his head and pursing his lips for a kiss at the same time. He didn't need to wait for long to feel Atemu's lips on his.

"Mmmm…."

"Aibou…"

"Mou hitori no boku…"

He fingered the large earrings Atemu was wearing. For his twenty-fifth birthday - everyone assumed it was the same day as Yuugi's, and he never protested - the gang of friends had chipped in to buy Atemu exact copies of the earrings he wore as a Pharaoh. He already wore the ones clipped to his ear shell, slowly saving up for more of his previous jewelry. He also wore two rings- one of them was the one Yuugi had given him, sealing their relationship.

When the Gods restored his body, Atemu ended up with a mixture between his Pharaoh looks and when he had still inhabited Yuugi's body. His tan wasn't as deep and his hair was wilder, with even more spikes. Yuugi couldn't thank the Gods enough for it - he adored ruffling Atemu's wilder hair, and was secretly a little jealous of his beautiful and sexy even tan.

"Just kiss me once more, mou hitori no boku."

"That is a command I will gladly obey, aibou."

They were completely caught up in the kiss when they heard rapid pitter-patter of childrens' feet.

"Obaa-san! Yami Papa and Hikari Papa are kissing again!"


After dinner, both children went immediately to bed, much to a vocal protest from Kazuo. After the children finally were sound asleep, Yusuke retired for the night as well. The living room was empty now, and they finally had some privacy. Yuugi crept close to Atemu on the couch, heaving a content sigh as soon as he felt the other's arms wrapped around him. He had fixed himself a nice lemonade drink and nuzzled up to Atemu, who was reading a book. There was a glass of wine on the side table- Atemu enjoyed a small glass every now and then, much to Yuugi's amusement; it was rare to see Atemu indulge himself into something.

"I love quality time like this," Yuugi said, smiling. He didn't mind to work hard, but he valued his free time, enjoying spending it with his family. He also didn't mind to be the main breadwinner. The GameShop used to provide a steady income, but after Sugoroko's death, Atemu had converted the store into an antique shop rather than to continue selling games. Antiques were an entire different market than popular card games, so they couldn't rely entirely on profits yet. "What was the story with Tzuziko-chan and the lion's den?"

Atemu closed the book and put it on the side-table, focusing his attention on Yuugi. "She managed to get separated from the group and wandered around unsupervised. She got to talk to the lions' caretaker and was trying to persuade him to let her into the cage; she wanted to know if lions were really overgrown kitties or not."

"She's so smart," Yuugi said. "Dangerously smart."

"Aibou, the principal mentioned again that it might be better for her to skip a class. She is easily bored and distracted, and she is disobeying her teacher. She makes the rest of the class nervous and uncomfortable with her behavior."

"She's barely out of kindergarten, how would they even know?"

"She is a genius," Atemu beamed. "They already acknowledge her talent."

"She might be smart, but I'm afraid it would only widen the gap between her and her peers. Yes, I know you would love to discuss Ancient Egypt history with her, but don't you think we should wait?"

"Such intelligence and talent as hers must be nurtured and stimulated," Atemu said.

"I know, mou hitori no boku, but she has trouble interacting with her peers as it is. She barely gets invited to birthday parties or play dates, and she never brings a class mate home! We should really wait some time and see how she develops."

"If you say so, aibou." Atemu yielded reluctantly. Yuugi knew how much Atemu wanted her to advance, proud as he was of their smart daughter, but it broke Yuugi's heart to see Tzuziko so alone, with only books as her friends. It reminded of how lonely he had been, until he met Jounouchi… hopefully Tzuziko would meet someone like him soon, a friend through thick and thin… but now it was time to change the subject.

"Talking about birthday parties, hers is coming up soon! We have to think about a gift." He looked Atemu straight in the eyes. "She's not getting the Encyclopaedia Britannica for her fifth birthday, mou hitori no boku."

"Everyone should have an encyclopedia, aibou. And this year's edition comes with a wonderful leather-bound cover."

"Kids these days don't use hardcover encyclopedias anymore. It's all about Internet and Google, you know that."

Atemu snorted. "Nothing trumps a solid encyclopedia. Google, my ass!"

"Why, that certainly sounds like something I'd love to Google!"

"Aibou, why must you take things literally at the most inappropriate times?"

"Hey, I'm not the one who started talking about their ass and Googling it!"

"I did not…keep your hands there."

"You're such a pervert."

"Hello Kitty," Yuugi said and busted out laughing at Atemu's confused face. "The cute kitty with the big head?" he clarified.

"Aibou, she does not like girly stuff. Fads and frills are not her taste."

"She likes Anzu's lamp all right!"

"That is because she adores her sugar aunt in everything she does," Atemu answered.

"True." Yuugi snuggled closer to him, enjoying the strong, even breathing of the other and the calmness that surrounded him. His hands were still low, moving and stroking, just to touch Atemu, just to convince himself he was still there, like always, forever…just as Yuugi was about to say something, the telephone rang.

"Who could that be? At this hour?"

"You will never find out unless you answer, aibou," Atemu said. Yuugi stuck out his tongue, muttering "smarty pants" under his breath. He reluctantly wrestled himself free and swiped the horn from the cradle.

"Moshi moshi?"

He listened for a second, and then his face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Anzu!"

After finishing her prestigious dance school in the United States, Anzu had opted to stay for another four years, dancing at high grossing venues, both ballet and modern. She chose to return to Japan and build up a career at home. Yuugi had been extremely excited upon her return, having feared she would marry some rich American and he'd barely see her again. They continued their friendship as if there never had been an ocean between them; the circle of friend was complete again, even though they couldn't get together as much as they used to, due to social obligations, work and other commitments.

"So the tour has ended? And you're going to audition for what..? Wow!" Yuugi's voice went up a few notches, until he turned around and whispered to Atemu: "Anzu wants to have lunch with me."

"Tell her that you are already taken," Atemu said as he winked at Yuugi.

"You're such a meanie!" Yuugi shook his head. "No Anzu, that wasn't meant for you, mou hitori no boku tried to be funny… I didn't know he had a sense of humor either… Lunch sounds fine! Where do you want to meet up? Yes, I know that restaurant. All right, I'll be there!"

Yuugi hung up and turned around to cuddle up to Atemu once more.

"How come I have not been invited?" the former Pharaoh said, mock-pouting. Yuugi nuzzled his neck.

"Because I am the sexiest of us two."

"Now that is a lie, aibou. And what was that about me not having a sense of humor?"

"I'm not telling lies, and you know that! Now, to make it up to me, you'll have to kiss me all night long."

"Your logic is not of this world, but I am happy to comply." Atemu nipped at Yuugi's lips. There was no more talk after that, only the sounds of intense kissing and soft murmurs of pleasure.


Takanewa's was a high-class restaurant, and Yuugi felt a little intimidated. This place was so different from Fujikawa's, and the decadent, lush decoration made him feel uncomfortable. He hadn't thought that Anzu liked this kind of restaurant, so posh and decadent. Even with his paycheck, he didn't think he could afford to eat out here often.

"Yuugi," a female voice startled him out of his thoughts and he turned around, a brilliant smile on his face. Anzu already opened her arms for a big hug and he was happy to return the gesture. Their hug was a little firmer and longer than a hug between 'just friends', but after all they'd been through and how long they knew each other, it was still a genuine, gentle moment of deep-rooted care and friendship.

"You look wonderful," Yuugi said, breathlessly. Not wonderful, but perfect - the designer clothes looked stellar on her, and her hair was so long that she usually kept it in a graceful bun, only not today. The strands reached way past her shoulders and she kept any bangs out of her face with an elegant headband. The purse she put on the table was from a big brand name as well. Anzu moved in quite the different social and cultural circles, her dancing career had soared to great heights.

"You look wonderful yourself," she said and joined him at the table. As soon as the waiter took care of their orders - healthy salad for Anzu, soup and a sandwich for Yuugi - they started talking.

"I'm so glad to see you," Yuugi said. "It's been a while!"

"It's awful that our schedules are so busy," she exclaimed, sighing dramatically. "As soon as you're an adult, you don't have any time for yourself! Fortunately we have e-mail and text messages to stay in touch."

"It's so hectic, with work and family and all," Yuugi admitted. "The evenings go by so fast, and the weekends… they just seem to fly!"

"I know what you mean," Anzu said a little sourly, "there's so much to do and so little time. I can barely keep up with life as it is! I wish we were still at high school, when we only had to worry about our homework. Sort of."

The waiter interrupted them to serve lunch, and Yuugi took a bite of his sandwich. It tasted heavenly… as it should be, for the amount of money they were charging for it. It was definitely different than plain ol' Fujikawa's.

They talked about school and their friends: how Jounouchi had opened up his own car repair shop and was fairly successful with his restoration of old classic cars, how Honda was busy sponsoring his race team and had taken up courting Nosaka Miho again, instead of chasing after Jounouchi's younger sister, Shizuka. As Anzu finished her salad, she used the napkin to dab at her lips, still smiling at the last memory they just shared.

"Yuugi, there's something I wanted to give to you, in person." Her voice sounded soft, a little hesitant, and a faint blush colored her cheeks. Yuugi tilted his head, curious. Anzu opened her purse and took out a card, handing it to Yuugi. It was a snow white card with a round lace-patterned edge, two doves entwined with a ribbon printed on the front side. He opened it.

"Hitsumono Warimi and Mazaki Anzu cordially invite you to their wedding," he read out aloud. "You're going to marry Warimi-kun? Anzu, that's great!"

"I wanted you to be the first one to get a card," Anzu said, supporting her head with her hand. "I wanted to give it to you in person, instead of sending it out with all the others."

"Really? It's an honor! This is such great news! Congratulations!"

"Warimi knows so many people," Anzu said. "I hoped for an intimate ceremony, just friends and family… but we made a compromise, and decided to throw a big party for everyone. When you get married, you better do it right!"

She continued stirring her iced tea, a melancholic look brushing her face. "Years ago, I thought I was in love with Atemu-san, Yuugi."

"I know." Yuugi blushed faintly. "Years ago, I thought our friendship would evolve in something more, but I never wanted to stand in the way between you and him…"

"You've always been so selfless, Yuugi," Anzu said. "I didn't know how you felt for such a long time… but I guess I lost as soon as Atemu-san got his own body, right?"

It hurt somehow that even Anzu was using the more distant '-san' to refer to Atemu. Yuugi had always known she'd been crushing on his Other, while Yuugi himself was convinced he'd fallen in love with Anzu. Things had changed, that was for sure…

"I'm sorry." He didn't know what else to say. Anzu reached over the table for his hand, and squeezed it gently.

"I didn't mean it in a self-deprecating way. I'm very happy for the both of you, really, Yuugi," Anzu said, showing a warm smile. She'd grown up, especially those years in the States when she didn't have her usual circle of friends. It had pained her, to leave them all behind in Domino, but it helped her to put things in a different perspective. However, there was still… some kind of regret. She couldn't help but wonder how her life would've turned out to be if she had really pursued, if she had pushed, insisted, had been more adamant… but Anzu knew that she had never stood much of a chance, not even from the start. Atemu was always looking at Yuugi, and at Yuugi only- the former Pharaoh's eyes were fixed on the most important person in his life, and nothing would steer him away from it. "Atemu-san loves you so much, and you love him. I don't think anyone could match how much love you feel for each other. I envy you."

Yuugi blushed deeper. "I didn't know love could feel this good," he said. "It feels good to belong to one another, and share our lives. I'm sure Warimi-kun will share the same love with you, Anzu."

Hitsumono Warimi was the heir to a large family-owned chain of supermarkets in and around Domino City. Anzu had met him in the States, where he studied to acquire his MBA. She had invited him to see one of her performances and he had gladly accepted, and in no time they had been a couple. Yuugi hadn't met him in person yet, but from what he had heard, he thought Warimi was a good choice: a hard working man who valued both business and family, was involved with several charities and his family came from an impeccable line of entrepreneurs as well as lawyers, doctors and local politicians. Hitsomono Anzu… that would take some time to get used to. I thought it would be Mutou Anzu one day… before he was aware of Atemu's presence, by then still the spirit of the Sennen Puzzle, Yuugi's crush on his best friend was serious enough to make him think of marriage.

"Yuugi?"

"Yes?" Yuugi blinked.

"You zoned out on me," Anzu smiled, but she looked at him, examining.

"I'm sorry," he apologized again.

"It's okay." Anzu squeezed his hand again before letting go. She had an inkling as to what Yuugi had been thinking of, but choose not to comment on it. It wasn't exactly a topic they felt comfortable talking about, and so she decided to return the topic of conversation back to the wedding.

"I would love for either Tzuziko-chan or Kazuo-kun to bring the rings," she said.

""I think Kazuo-kun is a little too young to be a ring-bearer, he still isn't walking," Yuugi said. He smiled. "I'm sure Tzuziko-chan will feel honored."

It was almost time to say goodbye again, but not before they discussed the wedding some more, especially the cake, the guests and the dress. They both agreed that it was going to be a wonderful day, and as they hugged each other goodbye, it was another firm and loving hug.

"Thank you, Yuugi," Anzu said. "It means a lot to me that you both will be there on my wedding day."

"We love you, Anzu," Yuugi said, meaning every word from the bottom of his heart. "We will always be there for you."

"Friends forever?"

"Friends forever!"


"Aibou, back from lunch already?" Atemu said, looking at him over the rim of his glasses. Yuugi couldn't help but chuckle. Atemu was teaching Kazuo the Ancient Egyptian alphabet just as he had Tzuziko. Even though the boy was too young to understand, Atemu was convinced that it would stick, and besides, according to the former Pharaoh, one could never start with education soon enough.

"Anzu's getting married!" Yuugi blurted out.

"Really?" Atemu pursed his lips a little and took off his reading glasses, much to Yuugi's dismay - he had never made it a secret that he liked Atemu wearing them. He juggled the toddler on his lap. "Who is the lucky man?"

"Hitsumono Warimi," Yuugi answered.

"The supermarket kid," Atemu said, sounding disappointed.

"Mou hitori no boku, don't call him that. His family owns the largest chain of supermarkets in Domino City, and Warimi-kun is planning to expanding to other regions. He's hardly a 'supermarket kid'. His family owns a lot of real estate too."

"Very well, aibou. Anzu chose him, after all. But mark my words: if he treats Anzu badly, or does something to her that I do not like, he will come to regret it before he can pronounce the name of his supermarket."

Yuugi wrapped his arms around Atemu. "I like it when you're being so stern and dominant." Kazuo was almost squished between them, and the toddler gave a loud yelp. Yuugi ruffled his black hair.

"Anzu asked if Tzuziko-chan could bring the rings."

"That is a wonderful idea! We have a lot of preparations to do, then. We have to find a suitable dress for Tzuziko, and something nice to wear for Kazuo, for us…"

"I'll help out, too," Yuugi said and kissed him on the temple. "It's going to be a really wonderful day!"


At the day of the wedding, the Mutou household was buzzing with activity. Yuugi could only imagine how busy and stressed Anzu and Warimi had to be on their special day. He needed at least two pair of hands to get the children dressed, to put on the corsages and to quickly call a taxi. With everyone running around and not exactly cooperating - Yuugi adjusted Tzuziko's tiara for the umpteenth time - he almost ran out of breath. He was grateful for at least one thing: it was going to be a very sunny day, lovely weather for a wedding. Anzu deserved it, and it made him very happy.

Kaiba had grudgingly given Yuugi permission to attend the wedding, conveniently ignoring that he had been invited too. After the ceremony, the couple would throw a large party for friends and family, Warimi's business associates and Anzu's wide social circle, which also included her friends from high school, even Kaiba.

"Atemu-san is upstairs, dear," Yusuke said while adjusting the large hat on her head, trying to pin it down. "Do remind me of thanking Anzu for inviting me, would you? It's so kind of her." Yuugi hugged her briefly.

"I will, kaa-san," he said. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a very vain boyfriend to usher out of the bedroom. I don't know what's taking him so long."

He went up the stairs again, calling out for Atemu. "Mou hitori no boku, are you ready yet? We have to go…" Yuugi bustled into the bedroom and ended his sentence with a wolf whistle. Atemu had changed into a tuxedo, the same as Yuugi, only his bow tie and cummerbund were a crimson red, matching his eyes. "That looks so good on you! So very, very, very, very good…"

"Aibou, I know you love to rip clothes of my body, but I suggest you wait until after the wedding ceremony," the former Pharaoh deadpanned.

Yuugi came to stand behind Atemu and hugged him firmly. "Mmm…"

"The taxi should arrive soon," Atemu said, turning around. "I hate to break the fun."

"If I knew you would look like this in a tux, I would've bought you one much sooner," Yuugi almost drooled. Atemu tapped him on the nose, chuckling. Yusuke called them to hurry up.

Downstairs, Kazuo had managed to smear something greasy on his pants and Atemu clacked with his tongue in minor annoyance.

"Let me get it, Atemu-san," Yusuke said, smiling. "I know more about stains than you ever will, and you better get Tzuziko-chan before she wanders away."

"Wanders away? Where does she think she's going to?"

Atemu was quick to retrieve Tzuziko who was about to leave the house. The girl looked adorable in her dress, but the inevitable frown on her face marred her features.

"Yami papa, I don't like this," Tzuziko said. She fidgeted with the tiara on her head.

"You can do this, little lady," Atemu said while adjusting the tiara once again. "You only have to take the rings to Anzu and hand them to her. It means very much to her."

"I don't want to, Yami papa," she said stubbornly, tugging at the tiara again.

"Tzuziko, you are doing this for your aunt, who specifically asked us if you would do it," Atemu said. "It is a task specially entrusted to you."

Finally, she relented to the idea that her aunt had specifically asked for her and she nodded firmly. With everyone present, Atemu ushered everyone out of the house to the waiting taxi, the driver about to use his claxon.

Anzu was a stunningly beautiful bride. Her grace and elegance radiated off of her, and the white kimono hugged her slender dancer's body. Warimi couldn't keep his eyes off of her, and he wasn't the only one - but he was the only one to call her his wife. The photographer tried to coax Tzukiko into a smile as soon as she brought the rings; he managed to get her to turn up the corners of her mouth a little, before she ran back to Yuugi and Atemu, hiding behind Yuugi's legs as she didn't like to be the center of attention. Kazuo wasn't fussing for a change, mostly because Yusuke held him.

After the official exchange of the vows and rings was over, everyone was gathered for the group picture. The newlyweds, flanked by their respective parents and siblings, stood in the middle of the group, and the photographer tried to gather everyone together for the best possible shot. Yuugi and Atemu stood fairly close to the family, with Tzuziko and Kazuo on their respective arms. Tzuziko was still and serious, looking at the camera, while Kazuo fidgeted just a little. He was happy to be in Yusuke's arms again after the picture was taken, and a couple of Warimi's nieces flocked around Yuugi to ask him all about his conspicuous hair. Atemu made short work of their curiosity by announcing that he wanted to congratulate the newlyweds.

Anzu and Warimi were very happy to accept their congratulations. "Yuugi-kun, Atemu-san," Warimi said, "thank you for coming."

Yuugi smiled his thousand watt smile, while Atemu simply nodded his head; a habit he had picked up after returning from the Memory World. It was a small Pharaohnic gesture that he acknowledged someone's presence, but wasn't paying full attention to him or her. Yuugi had told him that the gesture was belittling, condescending even, but Atemu hadn't stopped doing it. In the end, everybody had accepted it as a quirk, and though no one was ever offended, Yuugi didn't want Atemu to do it in public.

As Yuugi was congratulating Anzu, the bride leaned into him and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you for everything, Yuugi," she said.

"Thank you," he answered. "You look beautiful…" There was a hint of…sadness to his voice. Anzu smiled wistfully. They had discussed this at their lunch a few days ago, but it was still difficult. This lingering fondness between them transcended friendship, but didn't cross the romantic line. Anzu was in love with Warimi, but she wouldn't, and couldn't deny the strong bond she had with Yuugi, after all they had been through. That particular feeling was mutual, and they both knew it. Their lives were interwoven, but not as romantic partners.

"I'm glad you're here," she said. Yuugi agreed; he wouldn't have wanted to miss the wedding for a thing. He tried to shake his melancholy, the sadness he felt. He was very happy with Atemu, the other half of his soul. Why had he felt bad, if only for a little moment?

"I'm very happy that Tzuziko-chan wanted to bring us the rings," she continued. "It was so cute." She knew how stubborn their daughter could be. Yuugi chuckled.

"She didn't really like the spotlight on her, though. We almost had to threaten her to do it!"

"Speaking of threats, what is Atemu-san doing to my husband?" The bride said amusedly as Warimi started to pale. She motioned him over and he came to stand next to her, taking her hand and pressing a quick kiss to it.

"You certainly have a very … protective circle of friends, my love," Warimi said, rather dryly.

"Mou hitori no boku," Yuugi said, shaking his head. "You didn't threat him with a batsu game, did you?"

Atemu looked at Yuugi with a perfectly neutral look on his face.

"Aibou, what are you accusing me of? We just had a heart-to-heart talk between adult men, pointing out the obligations and duties as a married couple and the consequences when failing to live up to such obligations and duties."

Anzu and Yuugi looked at each other, and simultaneously heaved a sigh.

"Batsu game," they both said and started laughing.


Now that all the official parts of the wedding were over, it was time for the party. Yuugi felt quite hungry, not having had anything to eat but a few crackers for breakfast. He stared at the buffet, trying to decide as to what to put on his plate - there was enough to feed a whole army's worth!

"I can recommend the konbu," a familiar, friendly, soft-spoken voice came behind him. Yuugi had no difficulties identifying the speaker, and turned around, beaming with joy and happiness.

"Bakura-kun!" He exclaimed enthusiastically.

"Yuugi-kun, good to see you," his friend answered. Bakura Ryou was the still the same, time and age not showing on his face.

Whereas Atemu had returned, the Spirit of the Ring had disappeared. No trace of the malevolent Bakura was there to be found, and Bakura Ryou himself faded into the background. It made Yuugi feel guilty how they had lost contact, hadn't stayed in touch while Bakura had gone through so much more. The Spirit of the Ring had abused him, caused great pain and destruction, and while Yuugi had been happy with Atemu, he had lost Bakura out of sight.

"You look well, Bakura-kun," Yuugi said. "How have you been?"

"I have finished my studies in parapsychology," he answered. "I also studied mythology, with a specialization in occult artifacts."

"You did two studies at once? Amazing, Bakura-kun!" He should've known about the other's interest in the occult. Yuugi couldn't help but shiver a little.

"My main interest was parapsychology," Bakura said, "but during my study I discovered that mythology still was appealing to me, especially the occult artifacts. It doesn't have to be all dark and ominous or paranormal, Yuugi-kun. Don't forget that 'occult' actually means 'knowledge of the hidden'. I like to search for hidden meanings, the secret behind an artifact, and well.. ah… my expertise has been called upon."

"Egypt?"

"Yes," Bakura flushed a little. "The Ishtar family invited me to come over…we're going to visit archaeological sites and look at the collected artifacts."

"And living together?" Yuugi prodded as he saw Bakura's blush.

"Yes, that too," Bakura said and blushed even harder.

"I'm sure you and Malik-kun are going to be very happy," Yuugi grinned.

Bakura returned the smile and a silence fell. It wasn't awkward, but Yuugi felt compelled to break it; he searched for the right words to say what he wanted to say.

"Bakura-kun, about…"

"I know, Yuugi-kun," he interrupted him immediately, but not angrily. Bakura wasn't the person to be rude. He turned towards the buffet, took two plates and slowly started putting on some of the delicious food. Yuugi didn't comment; he guessed correctly that Bakura needed some time to think about his own words. After a few minutes, Bakura handed a neatly arranged plate with sashimi to Yuugi, who accepted it immediately.

"I'm glad he's gone," Bakura picked up his own plate and stared at the seafood he had served himself. "He made my life very difficult. My friends… I was constantly afraid that he would do something to you. More than he already had."

"It's not really about him, Bakura-kun," Yuugi shook his head. "We fell out of touch so quickly, and I didn't do enough to maintain our friendship. I'm really sorry…"

"Always quick to take the blame upon yourself, Yuugi-kun." Bakura showed his trademark soft, polite smile. "Friendship goes two ways. Don't you think I could've done my best to stay in touch as well? I didn't want to ignore you either, Yuugi-kun. But right after our return from Egypt.. it was too painful. You returned with Atemu-san, and there was no one left to go with me…"

"Exactly, Bakura-kun," Yuugi said. "That's why I should've been more attentive, involving you with the rest of the group…"

"I know." Bakura's expression didn't change. "But don't put all the blame upon yourself. I needed time to compose myself, re-invent myself, so to say. I was alone, but a different kind of alone. I spent all my time thinking about what I wanted, Bakura Ryou, not a Spirit, not my father, not anyone else."

"That must've been such a lonely time, Bakura-kun…"

"I didn't experience it as such," he almost shrugged. "It was what I needed at that moment. Time to reflect, a little solitude to discover my own self, my own being. Don't feel bad about it, Yuugi-kun. Just as I needed those moments to myself, now it's the moment to get out and meet new people, and strengthen the bonds I already have with my friends. I never regarded you as any less."

"I've always regarded you as a friend too, Bakura-kun," Yuugi said, relieved the other harbored no feelings of resentment. He was extremely glad to learn that Bakura still saw him as a friend, a feeling he was quick to return. Yuugi took a sashimi from his plate and took a bite.

"I think I saw Atemu-san running after your son," Bakura laughed, changing the topic. "I must say, he must have quite the stamina for running around after two kids, a store and you!"

Yuugi blushed and almost choked on his sashimi. Bakura chuckled and his face lit up as the others of his circle of friends joined them for the buffet: Jounouchi, his sister Shizuka, Otogi and Honda. They greeted him enthusiastically, immediately asking about his endeavors. Jounouchi ogled the buffet, grabbed a plate and started piling up the food.

"Well, who would've thought that Anzu'd be the first to tie the knot, huh?" he said.

It got him an angry glare and an elbow to the stomach from his sister. "What? Whaa-aat?"

Yuugi mustered up a watery smile. He had been the first of them all to wear a ring of his significant other… a ring that was slipped on his finger barely two weeks after they got together. It had taken Atemu a few days to find a suitable ring, and to beg the money off of grandfather to buy it. He was broke for the next three months as he had spend the advance on his allowance on the ring: a plain golden one, with a ruby and an amethyst entangled with a little twist on top, and both their names engraved. It wasn't as fancy as Anzu's brilliant white-golden ring with diamonds in a platinum setting, but it was Yuugi's most important and beautiful possession. It was their friendship ring, their wedding ring, their-everything-ring as they would never get officially married; same sex marriages weren't condoned in Japan, and Atemu didn't even exist for the authorities.

Jounouchi seemed to have understood the hint, as he scratched the back of his head a little sheepishly.

"I'm sorry, Yuugi…"

"It's okay," Yuugi assured him. "We should really throw a party ourselves, actually. After all, counting from the day that I solved the Puzzle when I was fifteen and having celebrated my 25th birthday recently, we're at our first anniversary together!"

"Ten years," Shizuka swooned, "ten years together with your true love." She elbowed Honda this time, who had been paying exclusive attention to his plate. He and Otogi had fought quite a while for Shizuka's affection, with Honda emerging as the winner. Otogi took his loss pretty hard and buried himself with his work, expanding his Black Crown stores to a national chain. He even went to the United States to see if there were any possibilities for international expansion, and when Otogi returned, he picked up his friendship with both Shizuka and Honda where they had left off, despite them being a couple.

"It's good to see everyone together," Yuugi smiled.

"To more weddings," Jounouchi lifted up his glass for a toast, "and to lots more buffets!"

"To more weddings!" Shizuka repeated and glared at Honda. He was the one to blush furiously, and everyone started teasing him about an appropriate wedding date.


Yuugi went to look for Atemu. He was tired and wanted to go home. The party was at its end anyway; most of the guests had left, the mutual families had retired for the night and everyone of the old gang of friends had left as well, except for Jounouchi, still at the buffet.

He found Atemu on the couch in a wardrobe room. Kazuo was asleep on his arm, head on his shoulder, and a soft snoring Tzuziko had tucked herself into his other arm, hand clinging to his tuxedo. He appeared to be asleep; Yuugi was torn between waking him up or just letting him be. He made a good picture; the former Pharaoh made a good father. It made Yuugi think of his own father, who hadn't even taken the time to give him a call after the Battle City tournament. He didn't even call when Yuugi messaged him about Atemu. What kind of father didn't even react when his son had found his partner, the love of his life?

Yuugi kept staring at the serene picture in front of him. How much, or how little, was he adding to the family? Was he only the one bringing in the paycheck to put food on the table and pay the mortgage, or did he bring in enough love for the entire family? Was he slowly turning into his father, nothing but work, work, work?

"You know, I can hear you thinking," Atemu said, voice sleepy.

"It's time to go home," Yuugi answered and winced from his own harsh tone. Atemu nodded and tried to get up, which was almost impossible with the kids clinging to him.

"Sleepy, Yami Papa," Tzuziko said while Kazuo was so deep asleep that none of the movements woke him up.

"I know, little lady," he said, "but it is time to go home." He handed her over to Yuugi to carry her outside, holding onto Kazuo himself. Yusuke, Yuugi's mother, had left the party earlier and so they had a taxi to themselves.

Yuugi was unusually quiet on their way home. He stared out of the window, as Atemu had his hands full, literally, with the sleeping Kazuo leaning against him, and Tzuziko wedged between them. He was also silent, but Yuugi figured he was fatigued, not upset or anything else.

"What did you think of the wedding?" It took Yuugi a moment to realize that Atemu was talking to him.

"It was wonderful. Really gorgeous."

Atemu never mentioned marriage, but Yuugi was sure he already had looked into the possibilities. It would be neat to get married; but even if same sex marriages would be legalized, Atemu still wasn't an official citizen. Yuugi heaved a sigh. Ten years together, and not a single thing to prove for it but their rings. That was more than enough, Yuugi decided. Their bond was stronger than any paper with their names on it. The rings weren't 'just' showing their bond, they were showing that they belonged together, for now and for always, above and beyond time, above and beyond any feeling that people could have for each other: the love of the other half of your soul.

"I wish we could get married like that."

"Me too," Yuugi said and blinked violently. He was not going to cry at this late hour on the way home. He wasn't really sure if he was emotional because of the wedding or the thoughts about his father, or a combination of both. He wished the taxi driver would speed up, and he heaved another audible sigh of relief when the car parked in front of the Game Shop. Now all that was left to do was to get the kids tucked in, and with the both of them already asleep, it didn't take longer than a few minutes.

Yuugi was brushing his teeth as he looked at himself in the mirror. He wondered where the sadness and anger on his face came from. It had to be fatigue, he told himself. Besides, everyone could be cranky for once, right? It had been a wonderful day, but also tiring. A good night of sleep was all that he needed. Yuugi buttoned his pajama top close and rolled into bed. Atemu was moving around, picking up the crumpled heap of clothing Yuugi had left on the floor, smoothing out the wrinkles in his tuxedo.

"Come to bed, mou hitori no boku," Yuugi said.

"In a minute, aibou," he answered.

"Now, please?"

Atemu stood still for a moment and then nodded. Yuugi reached for him, grateful that the other only needed one word. The mattress shifted under his weight and before Atemu could drape his arms around Yuugi as he usually did, Yuugi flung himself into his arms. Atemu started stroking his hair gently and nuzzled him.

"Aibou, what is bothering you?"

"It's already late, mou hitori no boku."

"Please tell me, aibou. You looked so sad on our way home."

"I… I was thinking of my father. How he was never there. How he's still not here."

"He has his obligations, aibou. Unfortunately, those obligations keep him away from his family."

"I don't buy that anymore," Yuugi all but growled. He pressed himself closer, wishing he could soak in Atemu's strength. "He's always away. Why doesn't he take some time off? To get to know his son, to get to know his son-in-law? To get to know his wife, for crying out loud?"

"It is extremely rough on your mother, that is for sure," Atemu admitted.

"I never want to become like him," Yuugi muttered.

"Aibou, is it all because of the wedding that you are plagued with these thoughts? I…"

"I don't want to talk about it. Not now. I'm sleepy." Yuugi pressed a kiss on Atemu's cheek. "I love you so much."

"I love you too, aibou."

That was all he needed to hear right now. Yuugi put his head down, on Atemu's chest, so he could hear his heartbeat. It was comforting and he smiled. Ten years together, and every day he loved him more. For the rest of his life, he would love him and only him, and not a day would go by that his love wouldn't increase. Yuugi fell asleep before he knew it.

-------------------