Adult-FanFiction.org : Yu-Gi-OH

Darkness Before Dawn	By : SangoHuntress1977 Category: Yu-Gi-Oh > AU - Alternate Universe Views: 3356 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: YuGiOh and the characters thereof are the sole domain of Kazuki Takahashi and all rightsholders. I'm only borrowing them for entertainment purposes and am deriving no profit.

Chapter List
- 21
- 22
- 23
Sunday, October 16, 2005
Back home

“Be it evah so humble, dere’s no place like home,” chuckled Jou as he pulled the car into the drive, parked and killed the engine.

The three young men exited the car and made their way toward the house, Atem opening the door to let them all in, where they stepped out of their footwear and up into the house proper.

“C’mon, Até! Let’s stash our shit and go see Grandpa! I know he watched us on TV. I can’t wait to see his face,” bubbled Yugi.

“Indeed. If not for his Exodia, it would have been my loss,” smiled Atem as he and Yugi ascended the stairs.

After dropping off their suitcases, Yugi and Atem ran back downstairs, stepped back into their footgear and, hand in hand, ran for the bus stop.
Yugi and Atem settled into their seats on the bus and relaxed at its forward momentum. As the vehicle rolled along, they exchanged a glance and a smile. Soon, they would be at the Kame Game Shop, where Sugoroku would be waiting to celebrate Atem’s victory with Exodia and hear his and Yugi’s firsthand recounts of their adventures. Then, he and Atem would duel each other into the ground for Yugi’s amusement.

Soon, the bus arrived at the stop and they exited. Hand in hand, they walked down the sidewalk, unmindful of any stares in their direction. Yugi’s eyes lit when the shop came into view.

“C’mon, Até,” he chirped, gently tugging Atem forward.

“Patience, habibi. Your grandpa won’t disappear,” chuckled Atem.

Yugi led Atem around to the side door, pulling up the keys he had dangling from the loop of his biker wallet, unlocked the door and stepped inside.

“Grandpa! We’re here!” he called as he and Atem stepped out of their footwear and up into the kitchen.

Silence answered.

“Grandpa?!” he called again.

His voice echoed throughout the shop and was answered by stone cold silence.

“His shoes are in the genkan, so he must be here,” observed Atem.

Yugi nodded, even as he stood rooted to the spot, uncertain of what to do, until he felt a strong hand on his right shoulder.

“You check upstairs while I search down here,” rumbled Atem’s voice.

“OK,” was all Yugi could articulate before he went tearing into the house.

After going upstairs, Yugi looked down the hall, eyes falling on the ajar bathroom door, which was always closed, unless someone was entering or exiting the room. Yugi made a beeline to the bathroom and tried to push the door open, only for it to hit something solid as it swung in.

Heart thundering in his chest, Yugi peered round the door and found Grandpa lying on the bathroom floor, bodily against the door. His heart seemed to stop for a second.

“GRANDPA!” Yugi screamed, forcing his way between the door and wall to kneel at his grandfather’s side.

Yugi rolled his grandfather over and saw dull lilac eyes staring sightlessly back up at him. Unwilling to believe the evidence of his senses, Yugi grabbed Grandpa by the straps of his overalls and began shaking him vigorously.

“Grandpa! Grandpa! Talk to me! Grandpa, please!” Yugi cried wildly, tears pouring from his eyes.

Yugi’s ears heard, but his brain didn’t register, the sound of socked feet pounding up the stairs and then the grunting sound of someone larger and stronger forcing their way between the door and the wall.

“No!” he protested when hands gently but firmly moved him aside.

Then Atem was kneeling over Grandpa, feeling for a pulse in the old man’s wrists and neck and laying his ear on Grandpa’s chest to listen for a heartbeat and over his mouth and nose to check for breath.

As Yugi watched in taut expectation, Atem looked up and shook his head grimly.

“Nooooo! Uaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!” Yugi dissolved into tears, legs crumpling under him.

He was only saved from complete collapse by Atem’s steadying embrace.

“I’m so sorry, habibi,” Atem murmured, tossing the puzzle to the back of his neck and wrapping strong arms around Yugi’s trembling form.

“Grandpaaaa…” was the last thing Yugi was able to articulate before his world went black.

/
c 1271 BC
Kemet

“Mom? Dad?” Hebai called as he walked through the tattered remnants of his family’s tent camp.

“Hya ha ha ha!” the high-pitched, irritating laughter from behind the bushes caught Hebai’s attention as he looked toward it.

From beyond the bramble and thorns emerged two large hyenas, blood dripping from their maws, whose lips were pulled back in the rictus grin of a predator.

Hebai’s heart stopped beating in his chest as tears welled in his eyes at the sight of the predators.

“Hya ha ha ha ha ha!”

The hyenas lunged at Hebai, who turned and ran. He hadn’t gotten more than a few feet, when he lost his footing and tumbled down the embankment, body hitting and slamming into rocks and stumps along the way. It seemed like he didn’t stop rolling over and over until he felt the cold water of the Nile envelope him, carrying him away from the campsite and the marauding hyenas.
/
The feeling of a cool wash cloth being laid across his brow was what finally caused Yugi to open his eyes and lock gazes with the stormy, sorrowful eyes of Atem.

“Atem?” he slurred.

“Ssshhhh. Don’t worry. You just passed out,” Atem explained.

A flash of what he had encountered in the bathroom appeared in Yugi’s mind and he started to try to sit up.

“Grandpa!” he yelped, only to be held down by Atem.

“The ambulance has already taken him,” said Atem.

Yugi blinked, then the full weight of Atem’s words hit home, causing tears to well in his large eyes. Unmindful of the cloth on his brow, Yugi rolled over on his side and began sobbing pitifully. He felt a hand, gently rubbing circles in the small of his back.

“I’m sorry, Yugi,” Atem’s voice rumbled.

Yugi couldn’t bring himself to respond, but was grateful for the gentle touch.

“I’ve texted Jou and Mai-sensei as well,” Atem said at length.

Sniffling, Yugi could only manage to nod.
A distraught Yugi permitted himself to be escorted from the shop by Atem. At the curb before the shop, they were met by a grim faced Jou, who wordlessly threw the car into drive and peeled out. All through the ride home, Yugi rested bonelessly in Atem’s arms, clinging to the Egyptian’s leather clad body like a lifeline.

Back home, Jou helped Atem to get Yugi out of his shoes. This done, Atem lifted Yugi into his arms and carried the younger man upstairs. In Yugi’s room, Atem removed Yugi’s pants and tucked him under his covers to sleep.

“Rest a while, habibi. Don’t worry about anything. Jou and I will handle things,” Atem murmured as he gently ran his fingers through Yugi’s hair.

Yugi could only sniffle and nod. With a few hiccuped sobs, he finally drifted off. Atem stayed in the room with him until he heard Yugi’s breathing pattern change over to the steady cadence of sleep.

After Yugi had dropped off, Atem retreated from his room to let him sleep. In his own room, Atem slumped down into his computer chair and woke his machine from sleep. Once online, he ran a search for how to help someone who was in mourning. For although he had lost his parents, he had had no one to comfort him after their deaths, so knew nothing of how to do so on his own.
Later…

In the kitchen, Atem set to work making lunch for himself and Jou. Not in the mood to cook any fancy dishes, Atem settled for Hungarian goulash, which consisted of mainly beef, tomatoes and noodles. Even so, the pleasingly spicy aroma soon filled the air, making Jou’s stomach rumble, even though Jou wouldn’t have thought he would have much of an appetite.

Atem brought the food over and dished it up for Jou and himself before sitting down. The two young men raised their hands.

“Itadakimasu.”

For the first 15 minutes, they took their meal in silence, the only sound to be heard being the clinking of their chopsticks against their plates as they took up the beef and noodles to eat. Eventually, the silence became unbearable for Jou.

“I can’t b’lieve Gramps’s really gone. How could dis happen right aftah da tournament?” he mourned.

“Death can strike any time, any place,” Atem observed somberly.

“Yeah. Man, if not fer Yugi ‘n his grampa, I’da nevah b’come a real duelist ‘n ’d prolly be dead in a guttah by now,” Jou sighed.

This caused Atem to stare at the blond.

“How came you to meet Yugi?” he inquired.

“Oh, yeah. Dis’s a great story, dough you’ll prolly wanna kill me when I tells ya,” grinned Jou.

An elegant eyebrow arched.

“OK. T' give ya a lil background, mah parents got divorced when I was ten. Mah ma got Shizuka ‘n mah ol’ man got me. Me ‘n dah ol’ man din git along at all. If he had a bad day, he’d use me as his punchin’ bag. So dat’s dat.”

“Me ‘n Yugi was both freshman at Domino High when I saw ‘m da first time. At dat time, I was jus’ pissed off at dah world. I couldn’t hit mah ol’ man back, so I wan’d t’ hit everyone ‘n everythin’ else,” Jou began.

Atem’s eyes widened, then dimmed with sympathy.

“So I was strollin’ through da hall ‘n bam, I felt somethin’ run into my leg. I looked down ‘n dere was dis lil pipsqueak wit’ da craziest hairstyle anyone’d evah seen; dat starfish shape ‘n dem three colahs,” laughed Jou.

Atem’s eyes narrowed and his lips dropped in a frown.

“Heh heh. Sorry, dude,” grinned Jou. “Anyway, he looked up at me ‘n ‘pologized fer bumpin’ into me. But I wasn’t in a fergiv’n mood, so’s I picked ‘m up by da collah a his shirt ‘n gave ‘m a good shake. Den I dropped ‘m t’ da ground ‘n told ‘m he bettah gimme his lunch money. He gave me his lunch money ‘n I let ‘m go. Dat’s what stahted it. When I saw me ‘n him was in da same homeroom, I zeroed in on ‘m. Day aftah day, I’d make ‘m gimme his lunch money,” Jou continued.

“Den one day, insteada comin’ in wit’ lunch money, he come in wit’ a bento slung ovah his shouldah. Well, as ya kin prolly guess, I was gonna go take it from ‘m, but he stahtled da shit outta me by walkin’ up t’ mah desk ‘n openin’ up his bento ‘n offerin’ t’ share it wit’ me! Dat shook me so much I din know how t’ react, so I just sat dere ‘n stared at ‘m,” said Jou. “He smiled at me ‘n said, ‘Go on! Eat! I figured you’s prolly takin’ mah lunch money cuz ya ain’t got none a yer own, so I t’ought dis might help.”

“Finally, I come t’ mah senses ‘n kinda glared at ‘m. I couldn’t undahstand why a guy I’d been bullyin’d wanna help me ‘n was suspicious,” said Jou. “I said to ‘m, ‘Ya crazy? I been takin’ yer lunch money ‘n yer actually gonna share wit’ me? Wadda hell’s wrong witcha?!’ He jus’ smiled at me ‘n shook his head. ‘Nothin’s wrong wit’ me, but somethin’s obviously wrong fer you if ya nevah got no lunch money ‘n gotta go ‘round stealin’ from othahs. So lemme jus’ help ya out ‘n den ya won’t gotta do dat no more.”

“At dat point, I couldn’t decide if I wan’d t’ pound ‘m one fer pityin’ me, or take ‘m up on his offah. So I kinda compromised: I glared at ‘m ‘n said, ‘Dun t’ink dis changes nothin’!’, den took a rice ball ‘n ate it. He smiled big at me ‘n stahted eatin’. Nex’ day, he brought in anothah bento ‘n ‘gain, he offered half a it t’ me at lunch. We stahted doin’ dat ever’ day ‘n by da end a da week, I couldn’t help likin’ da lil guy jus’ a bit, so’s I told ‘m he was actually pretty cool even if he was weird,” said Jou.

Atem smiled.

“One day, Yugi brought his Duel Monstahs deck in ‘n showed it t’ me. I t’ought it was cool ‘n asked ‘m t’ teach me t’ play. We dueled ‘n he kicked mah ass. Den he brought me t’ his gramps’ game shop ‘n he dueled me ‘n kicked mah ass. Gramps taught me how t’ play Duel Monstahs ‘n I kept playin’ n’ playin’ wit’ ‘m ‘n got bettah ‘n bettah,” Jou continued. “Ventually I realized I didn’t wanna beat up everyone no more, even when mah ol’ man was a bastahd t’ me. Dat’s Yugi’s powah. He may not be a strong fightah like us guys, but he’s got a good heart ‘n kin see good in people when no one else kin.”

“Indeed he does. It bothers me though that he’s so vulnerable to bullies. He was being bullied the first time I saw him,” replied Atem.

“Yeah. He tol’ me ‘bout dat,” said Jou. “Kinda makes me t’ink guys like us ‘r meant t’ protect guys like Yugi from othah guys like us.”

“Yes,” Atem’s voice rumbled.

“Looks like from here on, it’ll be more yer job ‘n mine t’ protect ‘m. I know you’ll look aftah ‘m good,” said Jou, gazing solemnly at Atem.

“With my life, if need be,” said Atem, returning Jou’s gaze earnestly.

“You’s a good guy, Temu. I’m glad all dat stuff I heard ‘boutcha was bullshit,” said Jou with a smirk.

“What stuff?” asked Atem somewhat stiffly.

“Oh ya know, like ya beat up a bunch a uppahclassmen ‘n put ‘m in da hospital. Shit like dat,” answered Jou.

“That wasn’t bullshit. They decided to start a fight, so I finished it,” Atem answered shortly.

“I git dat,” Jou nodded.

Then, to his surprise, a smile broke out on Atem’s features and his eyes softened.

“Like you, Jou, I lashed out and wanted to hurt everyone and everything. But since I’ve known Yugi and you, those feelings have receded to almost nil. At times, they flare up again, but whenever I look into Yugi’s eyes, they’re defused instantly,” he explained happily.

“Ha ha! Yeah. Yugi’s got dat effec’ on people,” agreed Jou. “Ya jus’ can’t help feelin’ bettah aftah ya spent some time wit’ m.”

“Indeed,” smiled Atem.

Jou took a breath to speak again when Atem’s head shot up and his eyes focused toward the staircase. The next moment, he was standing up.

“I’ve enjoyed our conversation, Jou,” he said with a sideways glance at the blond.

“Me too, pal. Go take care ‘m like only you kin,” said Jou, holding out a hand, which Atem gladly high-fived before departing the kitchen.
Yugi was just sitting up and rubbing his eyes when his door opened, causing him to look over and see Atem walking in.

The Egyptian sat down on the bed and wrapped his arms around Yugi, who sank gratefully into his embrace. Atem wasn’t surprised to feel hot tears seeping through the fabric of his t-shirt not a moment later. He planted a kiss on the crown of Yugi’s head while rubbing small circles on his young love’s back.

“I made goulash. Do you think you can eat?” Atem asked softly.

A shake of the head was the only answer he received. Atem sighed. He had thought that might be the case.

“I’ll set some aside in case you want it later, alright?” he asked.

A nod.

“Do you need anything?” Atem asked.

“C-can you just stay w-with me?” Yugi’s voice quivered.

“Of course,” said Atem, stretching out on the bed next to Yugi.

“S-sorry to be so m-much trouble,” Yugi stuttered into Atem’s shirt.

“Enough of that talk,” rumbled Atem. “How many times did I cry in your arms? Hm?”

“Don’t remember,” blubbered Yugi.

“Well, consider this a repayment if you need to,” Atem murmured as he caressed the back of Yugi’s head.

Poor Yugi could only nod before falling completely to pieces.
Monday, October 17, 2005

Atem stood grimly behind the little figure hunched over on the pillow as a faceless line of mourners and well wishers streamed by, all offering meaningless gifts and condolences. How Atem’s heart ached to take Yugi into his arms and comfort him, but that would have to wait till later.

Bone fragments were passed by Atem, Jou, Mai and Shizuka, from one set of chopsticks to the next, until the urn held by Yugi in a long set of chopsticks was completely filled. The urn was sealed with an ofuda and taken for interment in a graveyard. The group filed out of the graveyard, Yugi leaning heavily on Atem to keep from collapsing.
That night…

Atem looked down at the smaller boy, who had cried himself into exhaustion over an hour ago and still clung to his shirt, even in sleep. Blinking away his own tears, Atem smoothed down the thick tricolored hair of his small love before planting a kiss thereupon. With Yugi wrapped snuggly in his arms, Atem closed his eyes and allowed sleep to claim him.
Tuesday, October 18, 2005

The sun’s white light pried Atem’s eyelids open. With a quick glance at the cute thing cuddled in his arms, he uncoiled from Yugi’s body and slowly slipped from bed. After stretching himself out in the shower of white sunlight, Atem dressed for the day and headed to the kitchen to make breakfast.

Soon the sound of a slammed door and socked feet thumping down the stairs told Atem of Jou’s impending arrival. Not five seconds later, the blond was in the dining room, sinking into his chair. Atem quickly dished up some tamago kake gohan and set it before Jou.

“Itadakimasu!”

“Ya comin’ t’ school wit’ me t’day or stayin’ wit’ Yuge?” Jou asked as he shoveled in eggs and rice.

“I’ll be staying with him this week. Why?” asked Atem.

“Cuz I dun gotta work t’night, so was gonna take off right aftah school ‘n hang wit’ Mai,” smiled Jou.

Atem couldn’t help but smile at this.

“You’ve been spending more and more time with her since the tournament. You’re very serious about this relationship, aren’t you?” the Egyptian probed.

“Dunno ‘bout dat. Jus’ like hangin’ out wit’ 'er,” replied Jou with a shrug.

“We’ll be fine here. Go spend the evening with your lady love,” smirked Atem.

With a smirk and a nod, Jou continued with his breakfast.
After putting away the diningware, Atem went in search of something to do. Surveying the polished, white floor of the kitchen, Atem couldn’t help but smile at the memory of his repulsion the first time he had set eyes on that dingy gray floor with candy wrappers strewn about it.

Since his and Yugi’s return from the beach house, Yugi and Jou had stepped up to the plate (for the most part) by keeping their rooms (mostly) picked up, putting their clothes into the hamper, instead of leaving them on the floor, putting the diningware in the sink and throwing any wrappers they might have into the garbage instead of onto the floor.

‘Well, there’s always dusting to do,’ Atem thought as he went to get the Pledge and a soft cloth.

The sound of footsteps thumping downstairs alerted him to Yugi’s awakening. And there he was, a pale, downcast, pajama-clad little figure, staring at Atem with dull, watery eyes and a lip that even now, was threatening to tremble. All thoughts of dusting fled Atem’s mind as he marched right over to Yugi and drew his habibi into his arms.

“I thought… you went to school… with Jou,” Yugi hiccuped out.

“Mm-mm. Not until you’re stronger,” replied Atem pulling back and looking gravely into Yugi’s teary eyes.

“I don’t wanna…” Yugi hiccuped.

“You are no burden. Perhaps we can work on our courses online as we did before…” Atem offered with a gentle smile.

All Yugi managed was a nod before Atem drew him into his arms again and held him close.

Atem held Yugi, patting the small of his back for several minutes before he heard the younger man’s hitching breath even out somewhat. Only then did he pull back and smile gently into the tearstained little face that looked up at him so beseechingly.

“I know you probably don’t feel up to it, but would you try to eat, even just a few bites?” Atem implored.

“Oh… I dunno,” slurred Yugi.

“I know. Your stomach feels like it’s been shut down completely and there’s a lump in your throat that you feel you cannot swallow around,” Atem sympathized, holding Yugi’s gaze steady. “You can, Yugi. Just a few bites, to maintain your strength?”

Yugi looked into Atem’s imploring rubies and couldn’t deny the appeal of that gaze. A small nod was his answer.

“Nothing fancy, just some tamago kake gohan,” said Atem as he spooned up just a few bites worth for Yugi, who said a spiritless “itadakimasu” before picking up his chopsticks and mechanically eating the mixture of egg and rice.

Satisfied that Yugi would be fine for the time being, Atem left his side and went to retrieve his dusting supplies, making a bit more noise than usual as he walked and went through the supply closet so that Yugi’s ears would pick up on his activity, even when he was unseen.

Atem began spraying and dusting the furniture in the living room, finding the comforting solace he always had in these familiar chores. Presently, he heard a listless “gochisosama deshita” from the dining room and the sound of diningware being laid in the sink. Not seconds later, Yugi stood in the entryway, watching Atem with large, worried eyes, as though afraid he too would leave.

Atem looked from Yugi down to his cleaning implements and remembered how sometimes doing these mind numbing chores had been the only thing that had kept him sane when he had lived with him.

“Help me dust?” he asked, holding up another cloth he had retrieved earlier.

With a mute nod, Yugi took the cloth from Atem’s hands. Watching and mimicking Atem’s actions, he was soon spraying, dusting and polishing. The two spent the better part of the morning, dusting the furniture and polishing the wood in the living room.

By the time they were finished, it was 12 o’clock.

Growl!

Yugi looked down at his stomach in surprise.

“All that housework stimulates the appetite,” Atem explained. “Go wash up while I fix us something quickly.”

With a nod, Yugi disappeared upstairs to wash the Pledge from his hands and the sweat from face. When he returned, Atem had heated up some of the goulash from last night’s dinner.

“Itadakimasu!”

After a slightly more enthusiastic blessing on Yugi’s part, the two sailed into their lunch, exchanging glances and soft smiles as they ate.

“Thanks for your help this morning, Yugi. You helped me to finish in half the time it would have taken me otherwise,” said Atem gratefully.

“Is there anything else I can do?” Yugi asked eagerly.

“I… could use some help with the laundry,” answered Atem.

Yugi nodded and returned to his food.
After lunch, Yugi and Atem lugged their loads of laundry to the washer and tossed the clothes in according to color. When the clothes were sloshing about inside the machine’s churning drum, Atem turned to Yugi with a smile.

“Shall we duel until the load is finished?” he invited.

“OK,” said Yugi with the first small smile Atem had seen since Sunday.

The tricolors retreated to their rooms to retrieve their decks, then sat at the dining room table to play. The first game resulted in a reversal of fortune from the tournament, with Yugi beating Atem by 50 points.

“Well played, habibi,” smiled Atem.

“Wish I’d thought of that move in the tournament,” said Yugi with a half smile.

“Ha ha!” laughed Atem, glad to see some much-missed mirth from Yugi.

After they had played more, exchanging wins and losses, Yugi and Atem returned to the laundry room, where the machine had finished its work on their clothes. After they had retrieved the clothes from the machine, they carried the basket between them to the shower room, where they hung the clothes from the ceiling and turned on the room’s hot air fan to blow the clothes dry.

After setting the clothes to dry, Atem and Yugi retreated to their rooms and played UT2004 over their LAN for a while, the purple mage and pretty pharaoh fragging each other with Flak and Shock over and over again.

After taking their clothes down in the shower room, Atem and Yugi put everything away in their bureaus, then rejoined each other to watch TV on the couch for a bit until dinner time. The two flipped through various anime, talk and game shows, dorama and news, not really finding much of interest.

After a bit, Atem gave up, turned the TV off and flipped the remote aside, before wrapping his arms around Yugi and beginning to nuzzle and kiss his habibi. Yugi responded eagerly by leaning into Atem’s touch and returning his nuzzles and kisses. He let out a delightful little yelp as Atem’s long fingers found their way up under his PJ shirt and began tickling his pale skin.

“Hee hee hee hee! That tickles, Até!” Yugi yelped, even as he felt himself being pushed onto his back by his overeager boyfriend.

“Pardon moi, Yugi? I couldn’t understand a word you said,” teased Atem as his fingers danced merrily up and down Yugi’s rib cage.

“Ah ha ha ha ha! Hee hee! Too much! Hee hee hee hee!” laughed the writhing Yugi.

“Too much?” Atem echoed innocently.

“Ha ha ha ha! Yes! Ha ha ha ha ha!” Yugi asked as he writhed.

“Luckily for you, you’ve caught me in a merciful mood,” smirked Atem, ceasing his attack on Yugi’s rib cage and sliding his hands out from under his shirt.

Poor Yugi hadn’t even been able to catch his breath when he realized Atem’s hands were undoing his pants, pulling his underwear down and fishing out a very sensitive body part. A single goodly stroke, caused Yugi’s eyes to roll back in their sockets as his back arched.

Smiling at Yugi’s reaction, Atem set to work, stroking smoothly and efficiently, watching Yugi’s reactions as the younger man’s cheeks flushed and he began to gasp and pant as sweat broke out on his brow.

“Oooooo aaaaahhhhh oooooooo!” was all Yugi could articulate as Atem worked him into a writhing, foaming mess.

Seeing that Yugi was nearing his end, Atem picked up the pace just a tad… and was rewarded with a white geyser.

“Attteeeeeemmmmmm!!!” Yugi cried as the searing heat flowed throughout his body.

Atem continued to work Yugi through his release until the last tremors died away. Finally, he released his toy, grabbed a cloth, which he soaked in warm water and wrung out, then returned to the couch and began wiping up the evidence of their fun together.

Finished cleaning, Atem positioned the still reeling Yugi next to him and wrapped his arms around his habibi to hold him close. He then picked up the remote and switched on a talkshow, which they both calmly watched, as though nothing had happened on that couch.
9 PM…

Tired, but very satisfied after his evening with Mai, Jou pulled into the driveway and shut off his car. After letting himself into the house, he ditched his sneakers in the genkan and stepped up into the dining room, where he immediately opened the fridge and found leftovers from Yugi and Atem’s dinner waiting for him.

‘Awesome!’ Jou thought as he threw everything into the microwave and punched in the time.

“How was your evening with Mai-sensei?” rumbled the baritone voice from the doorway.

“Yah!” Jou yelped, spinning around to see Atem standing there, watching him with amusement dancing in his ruby irises.

“Asshole! Dun sneak up on me like dat!” Jou spat. “Went great. How was yer ev’nin’ wit’ Yugi?”

“It went as well as can be expected,” Atem answered truthfully.

“Yeah. Poor lil guy,” said Jou softly. “Everythin’s changin’ so fast fer ‘m, he ain’t had no time t’ jus’ git his mind ‘round it.”

“Well, he’ll be alright because we’ll be there to help him through it,” responded Atem.

“Yeah…” said Jou, glancing off to the side.

“Jou?” asked Atem, not missing the change in Jou’s demeanor.

Ding!

“Food’s done!” said Jou quickly as he opened the microwave.

“I’m going to bed. Good night, Jou,” said Atem softly.

“Night, Temu. T’anks fer da awesome grub!” replied Jou, biting into his food already, even though it was still hot.

“Of course,” said Atem with a nod and a brief smile.
Sunday, October 23, 2005

After a week straight of doing chores with Atem during the day and making love through the night, Yugi was as ready as he was ever going to be to return to college. To that end, he and Atem took an early shower and snuggled into Atem’s bed so they could get plenty of sleep.

/
c 1270 BC
Waset, Kemet

WOOOOOOOSHHH!!!

As the sandy wind bombarded the palace, Hebai and the other servants rushed to and fro, shuttering the windows and closing the doors. Even with the head dress wrapped around his face, some of the sand grains got through the fabric, stinging his eyes and tickling his nose and throat.

“*Cough!* *Hack!*”

Finished with closing the windows in that wing, Hebai ran toward the Pharaoh’s wing in the east to make certain Atem was alright. Upon opening the door, he saw Atem trying desperately to push his two large balcony doors closed, but having rather a difficult time with the wind. Rushing to Atem’s side, Hebai pushed with all his might to brace the door. Slowly but surely, they were finally able to push the doors closed.

“Thank you, Hebai!” praised Atem between gasps.

“Are you alright?” asked Hebai.

“I’m fine,” smiled Atem. “Though I can’t say the same for my chambers.”

Atem and Hebai looked at the room whose floor and furniture were caked with sand.

“I’ll clean…” Hebai started, only to be stilled by Atem’s arm on his shoulders. “Atem?”

“Later,” insisted Atem, pinning Hebai bodily against the doors they had just closed and proceeding to kiss him breathless.

Hebai could only reciprocate, wrapping his arms around the Pharaoh’s beautiful body and holding the other man close to him while their tongues sparred.
/

WOOOOOOOSHHH!!!

It was this that awoke Yugi from a sound sleep in the safety of his Egyptian’s arms. Looking out the window, Yugi could see the branches of the trees in the backyard, swaying eerily back and forth in the full moon’s pale light as a strong wind pushed them about.

‘Damn, that’s a strong wind. Feels like we could all just be blown away to nothing…’

The mantle of slumber was once again thrown over his eyes.
Monday, October 24, 2005

At the breakfast table, Yugi sat mutely as he mechanically shoveled eggs and ham into his mouth, causing Atem and Jou to exchange worried glances. Was he truly ready?

During the car ride up, Atem kept his arm around Yugi’s shoulders while Yugi pressed himself as far into Atem’s embrace as he could, wanting nothing more than to shut out the outer world, which continued on with its daily life, knowing and caring nothing for his Grandpa.
Domino University…

Jou pulled the car into the parking lot and killed the engine before jumping out. Atem followed, but looked back in concern when Yugi failed to budge from the seat.

“Come, Yugi. We’re here,” the Egyptian said.

“I can’t! I’ll come tomorrow, I swear!” Yugi cried, gripping his head in his hands as the sound of last night’s wind echoed in his mind.

“Maybe it’s too soon. I kin take ‘m back,” offered Jou.

“No,” said Atem firmly as he leaned down and gripped Yugi’s shoulders in his strong hands. “Yugi, we’re in the parking lot. If you truly can’t bear it, I won’t force you. But if you turn back now, returning will only get harder. Won’t you try?”

“Try for you?” Yugi asked, looking desperately up at Atem.

“No. For yourself,” answered Atem solemnly.

Yugi took several deep breaths, clinging to Atem like a lifeline.

“Alright, Atem. Lead the way,” he said after he had regained his composure.

“That’s my habibi,” said Atem with a smile as he escorted Yugi to the campus. “How about this? Let’s get through the day and we can duel till we drop when we get home.”

Yugi looked up into Atem’s gently smiling face and for the first time in weeks, he felt a true smile quirking his own lips up.

“OK…” he said softly.

“Let’s git goin’ b’fore all da good seats ‘n back ‘r tak’n,” said Jou as he led the way.
Psych 101

Today’s lecture was, interestingly enough, on the grieving process, which caused Yugi to shrivel in his seat.

‘Is this part of some cosmic cruelty joke?’ he thought bitterly.

When he felt a hand squeeze his, he looked up into Atem’s gently smiling face and managed a half-hearted smile back.

‘I can get through this. I have to, so me and Atem can duel tonight! Ganbare!’
12 o’clock…

Yugi saw Atem and Jou standing in the doorway, awaiting his arrival.

“Hi, guys,” he greeted softly upon meeting them.

“Hello, Yugi,” smiled Atem.

“Hey, dude. Let’s git t’ da tree!” said Jou, already turning to lead the way.

Yugi and Atem exchanged amused glances at Jou’s irrepressible enthusiasm for food. The three made their way to the oak, in whose shade they would repose as they took their midday meal. Imagine their horror upon finding their beloved tree lying on its side, roots splayed out like ugly, jagged black tentacles.

“Our tree!” Yugi cried heartbrokenly.

Breaking away from Atem’s side, he ran over to the fallen oak and knelt before its mighty corpse, gazing at it forlornly, as large tears slipped unheeded from his lilac eyes.

“Ra’s chariot! I wonder what happened!” remarked Atem.

“Son of a bitch! Dat wind las’ night musta knocked it ovah,” observed Jou as he scratched his head.

Atem and Jou walked around the tree, surveying the damage. As they looked at each other grimly, they both knew: the tree was a loss.

“I'll go score us a table in da courtyahd,” said Jou.

After Jou had left, Atem looked grimly at what was left of the tree under which he had taken many a lonely, and of late not so lonely, lunch. Its spreading branches had offered solace to his broken soul when he was alone and shelter to his healing soul when he and Yugi had eaten under them.

Then he saw something: a single, tiny acorn peeking among the tree’s brown leaves. Atem reached down and gently plucked the acorn from the fallen tree and tenderly slid it into his leather vest pocket.

As he worked to scrub the moisture from his cheeks, Yugi wasn’t surprised when he felt Atem’s hand on his shoulder.

“What do we do now?” Yugi asked mournfully.

“Why don’t we join Jou in the courtyard?” suggested Atem, giving Yugi’s shoulder a squeeze.

Yugi did a doubletake at this, as Atem had never wanted to eat anywhere except under his oak tree. This was a huge stride forward for him!

“Really?” Yugi squeaked.

“Yes, really,” answered Atem with a smile down at him. “Come on!”

Yugi nodded and followed Atem to the courtyard to seek out the blond.

When they arrived at the courtyard, they found Jou at the table he had found for them, already munching away on his bento. When he saw the tricolors, he smiled and waved at him.

“Hey dudes! Pull up a bench ‘n siddown,” he said welcomingly.

Yugi and Atem sat down and pulled out their lunches as well.

“Itadakimasu!”
That evening…

After reading online, Atem sealed the acorn with some soil in a plastic bag and put it in the fridge, to be checked daily for signs of germination.
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Darkness Before Dawn