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
- 22
- 23
- 24
Saturday, October 29, 2005

It started with the official looking envelope with Yugi’s name and address that Jou pulled out from among the ads and bills.

“Dude, dis looks kinda serious,” the blond said as he handed the envelope to Yugi.

“Uh, OK…” Yugi replied as he hesitantly opened the envelope.

As he read the letter over, his entire body began to shake. The Kame Game Shop was head over heels in debt and if Yugi didn’t come up with ¥5,238,175 by the end of next month, the bank would repossess the shop. Yugi felt the paper slip from his hand as his brain refused to process what his eyes had just seen.

“Wuzzit say?” wondered Jou, impulsively snatching the paper from the floor to read.

However, before he could make much headway, Yugi snatched the paper back and clutched it to his chest.

“None a your business!” he barked.

“Yugi, wut da fuck?!” yelped the aggrieved Jounouchi, from whom Yugi turned on his heel and fled upstairs.

Jou flinched as he heard Yugi’s bedroom door bang shut.

“Da fuck?” the blond said, scratching his head before shrugging and heading for his car.

He had a date with Mai!
Yugi sat at his desk, reading, then rereading the paper clutched in trembling hands. He was going to lose his childhood home, the one place he had always been able to return to for safety when the world became too much? How could he live without that sense of security?

‘¥5,238,175. There’s no way I can make that kind of money by the end of the month. Even if I quit school and kept the shop open full time, we never had that kind of business to begin with!’ Yugi thought, raking his hand through his preposterous hair. ‘The only way to even begin to pay this off would be to use my college fund…’
After exiting the bus, Atem made his way home, grocery bags in hand and a look of determination on his face.

‘My poor habibi has been so down of late. I’ll make all of his favorites today,’ Atem thought as he walked down the sidewalk.

When he arrived at the house, he noticed right away that Jou’s car was gone.

‘Perfect. Lunch for two will be just what Yugi needs,’ the Egyptian thought as he approached the house, pulling his key from his pocket as he did so.

“I’m home!” Atem called as he shut the door behind him, set the bags down and began unbuckling his boots.

Silence answered.

“Yugi?!” he called.

Still no answer.

‘He could be out for a walk,’ Atem surmised as he set everything on the counter.

Atem made his way upstairs, where he saw Yugi’s closed door at the end of the hall, which meant that Yugi was indeed home, for he always left his door carelessly open or ajar when he went out.

‘Perhaps he didn’t hear me if he’s listening to music or playing a game,’ Atem thought as he approached Yugi’s door and turned the knob… only to find the door locked.

“What in Ra’s name?” Atem said in consternation.

In all his time living at this house, Yugi’s door had never been locked, in keeping with Yugi’s promise to him.

“Yugi, it’s Atem. I’m going to make your favorites for lunch,” Atem called through the door as he knocked.

“Huh? OK… I’ll be out in a sec,” Yugi’s voice called listlessly through the door.

“Alright. I’ll see you in the dining room in one hour,” Atem said.

“OK…”

A frowning Atem made his way back downstairs.

‘Perhaps he’s ill. There’s been a bug circulating at school,’ the Egyptian thought.

Atem returned to his domain and began pulling the ingredients from the bags.
Even as the enticing smell of hamburger, hummus and an Indian dish of rice, curry, lentils and chapati began to waft into the room, Yugi couldn’t shake off his melancholy state.

‘I can’t lose the shop. I just can’t. There’s gotta be a way to make the money somehow. Maybe they’d let me pay in installments, like Jou did to get his car!’ he thought to himself, countenance brightening just a bit at the thought.

Yugi read the paper over and found a phone number on it that was available to call if he had “questions or concerns”.

“Yeah, I’d call losing the shop a ‘concern,’” Yugi said acerbically as he flipped open his phone and dialed the number.

Yugi listened to the ringtone with dilated eyes and bated breath, which narrowed and huffed out an angry sigh when his call went to a recording telling him to leave a message and his call would be returned later that day.

“Hello, this is Mutou Yugi, heir to Mutou Sugoroku, calling about the Kame Game Shop. I was wondering if I could work out some kind of payment plan to keep the shop. Please return my call at ___-___-____,” Yugi said. “Thanks.”

‘Well, that’s all I can do for now,’ Yugi thought as he snapped his phone shut. ‘I’ll just have to keep my phone on me all the time.’

“Yuuuugiiii, lunch!” Atem’s voice called from downstairs.

‘Thank the gods! That scent’s overpowering!’ Yugi thought, mouth watering as he went for his door to head downstairs.
“Itadakimasu!”

As they began the three course lunch of Yugi’s different favorites, Atem watched as Yugi ate. He seemed alright now, none of the melancholy Atem had heard in his voice earlier seeming to be present.

“Yugi, are you feeling alright?” the Egyptian asked at length, wanting to reassure himself of Yugi’s wellbeing.

“Huh? Yeah,” answered Yugi around a mouthful of hummus.

“You sounded unhappy earlier, which is why I asked,” said Atem.

“Oh, well… I was just thinking about Grandpa,” said Yugi, looking off to the side.

“Of course. Forgive me, habibi,” said Atem, reaching over to give Yugi’s hand a gentle squeeze.

“‘S no problem,” smiled Yugi, squeezing in return.

The tricolors lapsed into silence, each eating his meal and thinking his own thoughts. Presently though, Atem noticed Yugi pulling out his phone and flipping it open several times. The Egyptian frowned at this intrusion of technology into their meal, but restrained his tongue, as Yugi surely had a good reason to look at his phone at the table.

“Is everything alright?” Atem asked as Yugi shoved his phone into his pocket for the seventh time in a row.

“Huh? Yeah! Just expecting a phone call,” answered Yugi quickly and dismissively.

Atem frowned. Yugi hadn’t been this reticent with his answers since the return of… him.

“Yugi, you aren’t keeping things from me that I need to know about again, are you?” Atem asked, voice rumbling like a thunderhead.

Yugi blinked innocently.

“What? No! I wouldn't do that to you again. This is all on me,” he reassured the Egyptian.

Atem’s eyes narrowed for a second, then he nodded.

“Very well.”

The rest of the meal proceeded in silence.

“Gochisosama deshita!”

“Thanks, Até!” said Yugi with a final glance at his phone before turning and fleeing back upstairs to his room, where he once again shut his door.

“Ma’at’s feather,” rumbled Atem.
Later…

Bzzzzzzzzz! Bzzzzzzzzzzz! Bzzzzzzzzzz!

Yugi snatched his phone off his desk and flipped it open so quickly that he almost dropped it in the process.

“Hello?”

“Damn it!” he seethed when he realized he was holding it upside down. “Hello? Yes. I’m Mutou Yugi. I was wondering if I could… But… Are you sure? There’s no way at all I can? Yeah… I understand… Thanks for your time. Bye…”

Yugi flipped his phone shut and stared down at it, heart thundering in his chest. Then, his eyes narrowed and his little face pinched in uncharacteristic anger as he chucked his phone across the room, watching as it hit the wall, battery flying off the handset and both landing on his wooden floor.
‘Now what the hell do I do? That was my last hope. Sorry, Grandpa. I got no choice. I gotta drop outta college. I can’t lose the shop!’ Yugi thought. ‘So much for my video game design dream!’

Yugi turned to his computer, heart breaking as he thought of the golden opportunity he was forfeiting. He jiggled his mouse to wake his machine from sleep and fired up UT2004. Even if he would never be able to design video games, he could still play his old standby as a means of distracting himself.

After donning his headset, Yugi found his favorite server and entered, ready to deal some serious damage to anyone who came on to play today.
That evening…

Atem knocked at Yugi’s door, to receive only the muffled sound of clacking keys and clicking mouse buttons, much to his consternation.

‘Either he’s using the headset, or he’s ignoring me,’ Atem thought with a deep frown.

Taking a deep breath, Atem opened the door and beheld Yugi, hunched over his computer keyboard, gaming away furiously as his black_mage character leapt about the screen, fragging any and all foes with his Flak Cannon.

“Yugi, dinner!” Atem called.

Not even a twitch of recognition from the gaming tricolor. Shaking his head unhappily, Atem exited the room and headed back for the kitchen.

“Dinner for one it is then,” he said with a sigh as he sat down to his solitary meal.
That night…

Atem once again stood at Yugi’s door, knocking plaintively on it.

“Do you want to take our bath together?” he called.

No answer; just more clicking and tapping.

‘Fine…’

Eyes dim and lips weighted down in a deep frown, Atem stalked to his room to grab his robe before slipping into the bathroom for his solitary ablutions.

When he came out an hour later, nothing had changed. With a sigh and shake of his head, Atem entered his own room, closing his door.

‘I can’t condemn him for withdrawing. It’s no different from what I did when I was upset. Now I know how it feels to be on the other end of the equation. To put it in Jou’s phraseology: it sucks!’ Atem thought as he snuggled under his blanket.

The Egyptian closed his eyes and sighed. Sleep was a long time coming.
Even later…

Moving as silently as he could, Jou locked the door behind him, stepped out of his shoes and made a beeline for the fridge. As always, Atem had left some tasty food from dinner earlier and he was famished after a fun evening with Mai.

Thinking of Mai uncustomarily caused the smile to disappear from Jou’s face. He and the lady doctor had talked long and seriously about their relationship tonight and had come to a final decision, a bombshell that Jou was loathe to drop on Yugi so soon after his grandfather’s death, but also not something that could be put off.

‘I’ll tell ‘m first t’ing t’morrow,’ Jou promised himself.

“Itadakimasu!”
Sunday, October 30, 2005

Atem stretched out and yawned, however felt little joy in waking up alone. A look through the window showed rain and clouds on the outside, fitting his mood perfectly. After dressing for the day, Atem went to Yugi’s room and cracked the door open a bit to peek in.

Yugi was slumped over his keyboard, having fallen asleep while playing UT2004 last night. Frowning resolutely, Atem crossed the room and gingerly removed the headset from Yugi’s head. Lifting the younger man into his arms, Atem set him gently down on the mattress and covered him with his blanket, softly depositing a kiss on Yugi’s forehead. As he straightened up, he spotted an important looking document lying on the desk.

‘Should I?’ he thought with a glance at the slumbering Yugi. ‘Sorry, Yugi.’

Atem leaned over and read the missive, eyes dimming at the mention of the game shop being repossessed by the bank.

‘To have something like this happen right after his grandfather’s death. No wonder he’s been so out of sorts,’ the Egyptian thought as he memorized the address on the letterhead.
Downstairs, Atem stepped into his boots, buckled them quickly and strode into the gloomy downpour outside, after opening and shutting the door with more force than strictly necessary.
Yugi yawned, then cracked open his eyes, which opened wider upon realizing he was lying in bed instead of still at his computer desk. He sat up and looked around. Had Atem come in and put him to bed?

Moving slowly and stiffly due to so little sleep, Yugi rolled out of bed and went to take a quick shower, since he hadn’t had one last night.

In the shower, Yugi’s heart beat heavily at the thought of losing his beloved game shop. He still couldn’t believe the bank wouldn’t give him the time of day.

‘Just cause I’m a year underage. Really?!’ he thought spitefully.
A now clean and dressed Yugi emerged from his room, just in time to see the door to Jou’s room open and the blond emerge into the hallway.

“Morning, Jou!” he called.

“Hey, dude,” smiled Jou.

“Have fun with Mai-sensei last night?” asked Yugi mischievously.

“Oh yeah,” said Jou, more to himself than to Yugi. “Jus’ da first a many like it…”

“Yeah. You two’ll be a totally awesome couple in a few years,” agreed Yugi.

This pulled Jou up short and he turned to stare at Yugi. In all the excitement of planning everything out with Mai, he had completely forgotten of thinking of something to say to Yugi.

“Uh, Yuge… ‘bout dat,” Jou began gently. “It ain’t a in few years, more like a few weeks…”

Yugi blinked.

“Huh?”

Jou sighed and turned to fully face his best friend.

“Me ‘n Mai been t’inkin’ a while. Las’ night we sat down ‘n talked it all out. Me ‘n her ‘r gonna move in togethah right aftah New Years,” Jou explained. “I know dis’s real shitty timin’, but I’ll still be ‘round ‘n we’ll still hang out.”

At this bombshell, Yugi felt his heart drop out of him completely as his blood ran cold in his veins and his palms became slick with sweat. Grandpa’s death, the foreclosure of his childhood home, and now his best friend running out on him. It was all just too much.

“YOU ASSHOLE!!!” Yugi screamed, lunging forward and proceeding to beat Jou on the chest with his balled up fists.

“Yugi?! Wut da fuck?!” cried the startled Jou, who actually took a step back in the face of Yugi’s onslaught.

“YOU SON OF A BITCH, FUCKING RUNNING OUT ON ME! HOW LONG’VE YOU AND MAI BEEN PLANNING THIS?! WHY DONTCHA JUST KICK ME IN THE BALLS WHILE I’M DOWN?! THAT’S WHAT THIS WHOLE FUCKING WORLD DOES!!!” Yugi screamed as he continued to pummel Jou’s chest with his fists.

“Yugi, wouldja jus’ cut it da fuck out?!” Jou barked, finally finding purchase on Yugi’s arms and grabbing his wrists to stop Yugi’s assault on his chest.

“FUCK YOU!!!” Yugi screamed, tears of rage and betrayal filling his eyes as he yanked his wrists free from Jou’s grasp and went tearing downstairs.

“Yugi!” called Jou, running after him.

“Atem!” Yugi called as the tears streamed down his cheeks, needing nothing more than to collapse into Atem’s arms for comfort.

The empty kitchen that greeted him caused his spirits to crash as his heart raced heavily in his chest and his stomach knotted up on itself. Where was Atem? He was always there this time of morning.

Had Yugi been in a calmer frame of mind, it would have been obvious to him that Atem had just gone out for a bit. However, Yugi’s mind was anything but calm at the moment, all his thoughts roiling and crashing into each other, like the waves of the deep blue sea at Mai-sensei’s beach house.

‘He’s gone! Grandpa, Jou and Atem. Everyone’s leaving me!’

Yugi registered Jou’s footsteps as the blond approached him through the door. However, the last thing Yugi wanted was to talk with traitors. He pounded forward again, stumbling into his shoes in the genkan, then wrenching open the door and taking off down the rain slicked street.

“Yugi!” Jou called

He could only watch helplessly as Yugi stumbled into his shoes, then went tearing out the side door into the torrent.

“Dammit! Me ‘n mah big mouth!” snarled Jou as he slumped down at the table.

‘Should I go aftah ‘m? Nah. Bettah let ‘m cool off a bit. Way to wreck ever’thin’. Idiot!’ Jou berated himself as he repeatedly smacked his forehead with his open palm.
Two hours later…

Atem Ishtar strode toward the white house in much better spirits than he had left it in. Even as the rain soaked and weighed down his ponytailed hair, ruby irises glowed with accomplishment and his lips turned up in a smile.

“I’m home!” he called as he stepped in through the front door and unbuckled his boots.

“Hey, Temu,” Jou’s dispirited voice called from the dining room.

Frown of concern erasing his smile, Atem hopped up from the genkan and went to find Jou slumped over at the table.

“What’s wrong, Jou?” the Egyptian asked.

Jou looked up at Atem with sad eyes, riddled with guilt.

“Me ‘n Mai’s gonna move in t’gethah,” the blond began.

“That’s wonderful news! Congratulations!” grinned Atem, giving Jou a pat on the back.

“Heh! T’anks. I jus’ wish Yugi’d taken it as good as you jus’ did,” said Jou softly.

“Yugi…” Atem snapped up and looked about for the younger man.

“He ain’t here,” supplied Jou. “He took off aftah I zaksident’ly tol’ ‘m ‘bout mah plans wit’ Mai. T’ink it was too much, too soon fer ‘m aftah Gramps’ deat’.”

Just for a moment, Atem felt white hot anger at the blond lance through his heart. This, he immediately tamped down. It wasn’t Jou’s fault and Jou was already blaming himself, even though it wasn’t.

“That’s not the only reason,” the Egyptian sighed. “The bank foreclosed on the Kame Game Shop and refused to let Yugi set up an installment plan because he’s a year underage.”

“Aw! Yuge had an env’lope in da mail yestahday. He opened it up ‘n jus’ stahted actin’ all weird aftah he’d read it. Dat musta bin wut it was! But he wouldn’t lemme lookit it, so I dint know,” Jou explained.

“I’ll go look for him,” said Atem. “You remain here in case he returns.”

“Oh, shit! He was callin’ fer ya earlier when ya was still out ‘n took off when he saw you wasn’t home,” Jou added.

“Ra damn it!” snarled Atem as he ran back to the genkan to step down into his boots.

SLAM!

Jou winced as the slamming front door caused the house’s timbers to rattle.
Kame Game Shop

Yugi’s face twisted in pain when his key wouldn’t fit in the door anymore. Water droplets soaking him from head to toe, he stood there and glared at the lock.

‘Damn them! Did they have to change the locks so fast?!’ he thought.

Not that it mattered. Yugi still had his secret way in. Running around behind the building, Yugi found his maple tree and quickly scaled it up to his bedroom window. Thankfully, the bank people had neglected to secure this and Yugi was able to slip into his room and out of the rain.

Inside the room, Yugi stopped and listened, greeted by a silence so loud, it made his heart ache. After stepping out of his shoes, which he left on his window sill, Yugi exited his room and crossed the hall to Grandpa’s room, opening the door.

Thankfully, Grandpa’s room hadn’t been touched. All his old books, curios and knick knacks remained just as they had been. Tears stinging his eyes and jaw trembling, Yugi climbed onto Grandpa’s bed and curled up under the blanket, which still smelled of his cologne and aftershave. In the safety of his guardian’s room, with the sound of the rain pelting against the walls and ceiling, Yugi allowed his tears to flow and his ululations to sound unchecked.

‘Grandpa! I miss you so bad. Why’d you leave? Why’s everyone leaving me?!’ Yugi thought as he sobbed his heart out. ‘Even Atem…’

In his mind’s eye, Yugi saw Atem’s back walking away from him, with some other shadowy figure at his side, fingers interlaced with each other’s, just as his and Atem’s had been so many times. Atem and the shadow person gazed lovingly at each other as they walked farther and farther away. Yugi squeezed his cartouche painfully.

The sound of a key being turned in a lock and the side door opening downstairs reached Yugi’s ears through the house’s painfully thin walls, causing him to attempt to stifle his sobs and only choke and cough on them for his efforts, necessitating burying his face in the pillow until the storm passed.

As soon as he was able to breathe somewhat normally, Yugi heard the sound of socked feet thumping gently over the kitchen floor, then creaking up the stairs.

creak creak creak creak creak creak

Yugi’s heart raced in his chest as the floorboards creaked under the weight of whomever was approaching. Had someone seen him climbing in and called the police? Was someone from the bank here to tell him to pack up his shit and get the hell out? He hadn’t even been allowed a week in which to pack his things. As each footstep came closer, Yugi felt the dread in his heart being replaced by anger.

‘To hell with the bank! This is my home! I won’t let anyone take it without a fight!’ Yugi thought as he kicked off the blanket, climbed off the bed and stood squarely in the middle of the floor.

The handle turned and the door swung open.

“YEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHGGGGGGGGGGHHHH!!!!!”

This inhuman scream was torn from Yugi’s lips as he launched himself headfirst into the intruder into his childhood home, fists pounding on the person’s chest as tears of rage poured from haunted, tired lilac eyes.

“FUCK YOU, YOU SON OF A BITCH! THIS IS MY HOME AND YOU’RE TAKING IT OVER MY DEAD BODY! JUST TAKE YOUR MORTGAGES AND YOUR DEEDS AND LAWS AND SHOVE ‘EM UP YOUR ASS!!!” Yugi screamed as he pounded away in a blind fury.

That is until two stronger hands grabbed his wrists and bound them, pulling him to look straight into a pair of angry crimson eyes.

“In case you’ve forgotten, I do not like being struck!” Atem Ishtar growled at Yugi.

“A-tem?” the panting Yugi asked, eyes widening just a bit as recognition seeped in.

“I’m going release your wrists now. Kindly refrain from hitting me again!” Atem bit out.

Still trying to steady his breath, Yugi nodded quickly, causing Atem to release him. In the ensuing silence, punctuated only by the tip-tap of the raindrops, the tricolors stood facing each other.

“Yugi…” Atem began.

“FUCK YOU, ATEM! YOU’RE JUST AS FUCKING BAD AS JOU! WHAT THE HELL DID I DO TO MAKE BOTH OF YOU WANNA JUST RUN OFF LIKE THAT?!” Yugi screamed at the Egyptian. “ALRIGHT, I GET IT! JOU AND MAI-SENSEI ARE AN ITEM. HE’S GONNA CHOOSE HER OVER ME. WHAT ABOUT YOU? ARE YOU SEEING SOMEONE ELSE TOO? ALREADY GOT A NICE LITTLE PAD TO TAKE ‘EM TO? WELL, THAT’S JUST FINE AND DANDY WITH ME! GO ON! GO TO YOUR NEW LOVER AND HAVE A GREAT LIFE WITH THEM! LIKE I FUCKING CARE!”

Yugi’s diatribe was cut off by Atem's hand being clapped over his mouth. A withering crimson glare directed his way took the wind out of Yugi's sails, causing him to deflate.

After a deep, cleansing breath, Atem removed his hand from Yugi's mouth.

“May we please talk like two adults, instead of arguing like children?” the Egyptian asked.

“Go ahead! Who’s stopping you?!” Yugi spat, crossing his arms and looking away.

Swallowing his annoyance at Yugi’s sullen attitude, Atem began.

“Out of all the bullshit you just spewed at me, you did manage to hit on one point: I have bought a house and will be moving into it as soon as possible,” he declared.

“Fine! Go ahead and enjoy your new lover!” Yugi sulked. “I guess you should get points for at least coming to break up with me to my face.”

Atem’s eyes narrowed and his jaw jutted out.

“That’s enough, Yugi! My patience isn’t limitless!” he growled. “The only lover I want to share my new home with is standing right before me.”

This pulled Yugi up short and he stared wide eyed at Atem for a few seconds. However, the thought of losing the game shop was still maddening his brain. Thus, why he gave this response.

“This is my home. I’m not letting the damn bank or anyone else take it away from me. So, thanks, but no thanks. Sorry I accused you of cheating, but you might as well go and find someone else. I’ve already decided I’m staying here no matter what. They’ll have to kill me if they wanna take the shop,” declared Yugi stubbornly.

“Really? What of school?” Atem asked.

“I’m quitting,” answered Yugi shortly.

Atem stared in disbelief at Yugi. What had happened to the fun loving, but still quite sensible, young man he had fallen in love with over the spring and summer?

“You mean to quit school so you can hole up for the rest of your life in a domicile that is not legally yours and likely end up being arrested?” the Egyptian asked.

“Yup,” answered Yugi with a defiant nod.

“That is the most ridiculous plan I’ve ever heard of, Yugi. You would throw away your dream just to cling to a relic of the past? You’ll regret it for the rest of your life if you quit,” Atem pleaded.

“Then I’ll just have to regret it, won’t I? It’s my life, so just butt out, Atem!” Yugi retorted, crossing his arms and glaring at Atem.

And this was the final straw. Anger surging through his veins, Atem's eyes blazed up.

“No, Yugi! It is not just your life! It’s our life together, for the rest of our days!” he shouted at the younger man.

At those words, Yugi blinked as the nightmare from last spring of Atem’s back retreating into the distance while Hebai remained rooted to the spot, unable to follow, returned to his mind with trebled clarity. What was he doing?! Tears sprang into his eyes and his entire body began to shake.

“A-tem?” he hiccuped, swiping at the tears that now fell from his large eyes. “Oh, gods… I… I…”

Seeing that he had finally broken through, Atem stepped over to the now trembling Yugi, gripping his shoulders firmly and guiding him to sit on the edge of the mattress.

“Yugi, there’s something I’ve never told you, but now seems like the proper time,” he said solemnly.

“W-what?” Yugi asked.

Atem closed his eyes, fighting for composure. Taking a deep, cleansing breath, he began.

“When first we met last spring, I was weighing my options,” he said.

“Huh?”

“My options of whether or not I wanted to remain in this world,” Atem elaborated as he gazed solemnly into Yugi’s eyes.

“Atem!” Yugi cried, tears falling from his eyes as the full realization of what Atem was saying struck like a bolt of lightning.

“I think the only reason I didn’t snuff out my existence that day or the next was because I came to look forward to talking and dueling with you every day. Your light began to pierce the veil of darkness that had shrouded my heart for so long. Even when I lashed out at you, you never gave up on me. You saved my life and my sanity, Yugi. Without your friendship, and later your love, I would be gone by now,” Atem concluded passionately, touching his brow to Yugi’s.

“Atem,” Yugi said again, ending in a small sob.

“You convinced me to live on with you and Jou, to join the Duel Monsters circle, to venture back out into the world. You made life worth living for me again! But now it seems that you’re content to throw everything away. That isn’t the “you” I’ve come to know,” Atem said, closing his eyes as his own tears began to flow.

“Sorry…” said Yugi, as his tears continued to spill. “Sorry I disappointed you.”

“You misunderstand. I am not disappointed; I am worried for you. Would your grandfather have wanted you to throw everything away like this?” Atem asked with a hitch in his voice.

With a sniffle, Yugi shook his head.

“Then don’t give up, on me, on us. Even if it takes a thousand years for you to smile again, I still want to be at your side,” Atem murmured softly as he caressed Yugi’s face.

At the sound of his own words being repeated to him, the last of Yugi’s control snapped and he threw his arms around Atem’s shoulders, sobbing uncontrollably.

“I’m sorryyyyy. I’m s-such an… asshhholllee!!!” he bawled.

“Shhhh. Don’t apologize, habibi. It’s nothing I haven’t done to you in the past,” Atem soothed as he rubbed Yugi’s back. “Will you come live with me?”

Yugi closed his eyes. If he remained in the game shop, he would be throwing everything away. If he moved in with Atem, he would lose the game shop. The image of the Pharaoh’s retreating back flashed into his mind’s eye once again, sealing his fate. Yugi opened his eyes, looked into Atem’s ruby irises and nodded.

A smile spread across Atem’s features as his eyes lit like twin sunrises.

“That’s my habibi. Come! Let me show you our new home,” Atem proposed, offering his hand.

“OK,” sniffled Yugi as he wiped at his tears, while grasping Atem’s hand and allowing Atem to lead him from the bed.

Atem began to lead Yugi to the staircase, when Yugi stopped in remembrance of his shoes.

“Wait! I left my shoes on my window sill!” he cried.

“You can fetch them later,” said Atem firmly, putting an arm around Yugi’s shoulders to keep him from breaking away and continued leading him downstairs.

“Atem, I can’t go out in my socks! It’s raining!” protested Yugi as they descended the staircase.

“And who said anything of going out?” asked Atem when they reached the dining room at the bottom of the staircase.

“Huh?” asked Yugi, looking up at Atem with wide, questioning eyes.

“Welcome home, habibi,” said Atem simply as he held out two matching keys to Yugi.

“Atem?” Yugi asked as he stared in disbelief at the keys in Atem’s hands.

“It’s time for a full confession from me. Let's sit down,” suggested Atem as he pulled out a chair.

After they were seated, Atem pulled out a piece of paper and showed it to Yugi, who read it over. The paper was a deed to the Kame Game Shop in the name of one Atem Ishtar, to be held in trust for Mutou Yugi until he came of age next summer.

“After that, the deed will transfer to you and you’ll be able to do as you please,” Atem said simply.

Yugi looked up from the paper into Atem’s gently smiling face. A maelstrom of emotions churned and roiled in his being: relief at not having to give up his childhood home, a bit of annoyance at Atem for not just saying this right away and guilt that Atem had to spend so much of his money on Yugi.

“But, Atem, you d-deserve to spend your m-money however you want, to be happy,” Yugi protested feebly. “The game shop is m-my problem.”

Atem frowned and leaned forward so that his face was mere inches from Yugi’s.

“Yugi, your problems are my problems. That is what ‘our life together’ means: not two lives lived side by side, but two lives lived as one, helping each other every step of the journey!” the Egyptian explained.

The realization of these words broke over Yugi like an ocean wave over those rocks he and Atem had wanted to eat clams on together in what seemed like another life.

“Ateeeeemmmmmmmm,” he cried as he collapsed into Atem’s strong arms.

Atem wrapped his arms around his trembling habibi and held the smaller close to his heart, gently rocking back and forth while slowly rubbing circles in Yugi’s back.

As tears and ululations racked his small form, Yugi finally found release for the emotions that had been building up in him for months and months. He cried for the loss of his grandfather, for his parents and for the man in the safety of whose arms he now rested.

How long they stayed thus, neither one could guess, nor did they care. Atem whispered softly into Yugi’s ear as he alternately rubbed his back and caressed his thick hair.

At long last, Yugi’s sobs died down to hiccups and sniffles. Sensing the change in his habibi, Atem loosened his embrace, allowing Yugi to pull back and look at him with his watery eyes and red little face. Atem gently thumbed the tear tracks from Yugi’s swollen cheeks while Yugi closed his eyes and savored his Egyptian’s touch.

“Now, would you like to spend the night here or go home until we can pack and move properly?” Atem asked.

“S-spend the night here,” Yugi faltered forth.

“Alright. Text Jou so he won’t worry,” instructed Atem.

“Jou! Oh gods! I was such a dick to him!” Yugi cried, suddenly pulling back from Atem and whipping out his phone.

Yugi dialed the number, as an apology was something to be done by voice, not over text.

“‘Yuge?”

“Jou, I’m so damn sorry for how I acted earlier! I’m happy for you and Mai-sensei. Please move in and enjoy each other’s company!” Yugi cried, bowing from the waist.

‘’S cool. Sorry ya had t’ hear ‘bout it outta da blue like dat. I was gonna tell ya, but wan’d to break it t’ ya gentler ‘n I did. Ya OK? Where are ya anyway?” Jou asked.

“Yeah. I’m OK. Atem’s with me at the game shop,” Yugi answered quickly.

“Dat’s good. Howdja git in da shop? Banks usually change da locks right away when dey do a repo,” said Jou.

“Me and Atem are gonna live in the game shop. I promise I’ll tell you the whole story when we swing by tomorrow,” answered Yugi, the first smile Atem had seen in two days quirking up on his lips.

“Dat so? Mistah Money Bags buy it fer ya?” asked Jou.

“Ha ha! Sometimes you almost seem smart, Jou,” quipped Yugi.

“T’anks… Hey! What da hell’zat s’posed t’ mean?!” growled Jou over the phone, causing both tricolors to snicker.

“Whatever you want it to. See you tomorrow!” said Yugi happily.

“‘K, dude. Peace!” replied Jou.

“Peace!” returned Yugi before hanging up.

“Now, since there’s no food, why don’t we go to Burger World?” offered Atem.

Yugi thought a moment, but shook his head.

“How about we go to that Lebanese place you like?” he asked. “I can’t buy anything for you, but…”

“That’s not necessary, habibi. Thank you. I would love to go to A Little Taste of Lebanon,” smiled Atem, standing up from the chair. “Perhaps you should retrieve your shoes after all.”

“Yeah!” cried Yugi, jumping up from the table and running upstairs to fetch his shoes from his window sill.
That evening…
Yugi and Atem returned from A Little Taste of Lebanon in high spirits. They chattered and flirted with each other even as they stepped out of their footgear and up into the kitchen.

“Could you believe that couple, French kissing right in the middle of the restaurant?!” Yugi gasped.

“It seems they had more on their minds than the tabbouleh,” grinned Atem.

“I’ll say,” smiled Yugi. “I’d rather do that in the privacy of our house.”

“As would I,” agreed Atem, grasping Yugi and pulling the younger man bodily to him.

Their lips locked in a deep, heated kiss, their teeth scraping and clacking against each other as their tongues sparred for dominance. After a bit, they pulled back and smiled at each other.
In the steamy room, two overheated bodies crashed into each other, neither able to keep its hands to itself. Atem pushed Yugi flush against the wall, spreading the younger man’s legs as wide as they would go.

The Egyptian raised his hand to Yugi’s turned head, forefinger extended. Yugi’s lips parted to receive the finger and suckle on it for a few moments, the sucking sensation already causing Atem’s nether regions to pulse with longing. Ritual complete, Atem withdrew his now thoroughly coated finger, parted nether cheeks with his other hand and gently pushed his finger forward, stopping briefly to rim, before breaching that tight entrance.

“Nnnngh!” Yugi ground out.

Smiling to himself, Atem began gently thrusting and curling the finger, gradually loosening Yugi’s channel for his exploration and slowly working his way forward. When he found the ridged spot, he crooked his finger and began short stroking, feeling the ring of muscle tighten around his exploring digit almost instantly.

“Oh, gods! Atem! Atem!” Yugi cried at that delicious feeling of being stroked to completion.

Atem couldn’t help but chuckle just a bit as Yugi began to thrust up and down in time with his strokes. His habibi was a lively lover; that much he had learned during their time together. Atem took this as his opportunity to worm a second finger in.

At the feeling of being stretched and impaled even more, Yugi threw back his head and uttered nonsensical groans as he continued to thrust up and down.

Snaking his left hand around Yugi’s left thigh, Atem’s fingers found purchase around Yugi’s engorged length and began stroking softly at first, but gradually increasing the tempo.

“Ah ah ah ah ah! Ah-tem!” Yugi cried.

A smirking Atem was just now pushing a third finger in past the spasming ring of muscle, to join its comrades in the business of stretching Yugi.

Between Atem’s three invading fingers in the back and that stroking hand in the front, Yugi was almost completely undone, having just enough presence of mind to do two things: breathe and thrust up and down against his boyfriend’s sweet torture.

“Ooooo oooooo ooooo,” Yugi moaned as those hands worked him over.

After quite a bit of scissoring and stroking, Atem decided that Yugi had been prepped enough. It was time for the real deal. In a fluid move, he withdrew his three fingers from Yugi’s back door, much to the small one’s displeasure.

“Atem!!!”

“Don’t worry, habibi,” Atem said gently even as he pushed himself into Yugi.

“Haaaa aaaaah!!!” Yugi cried as the real thrusting now began.

“Unh! Unh! Unh!” Atem grunted as he worked himself up and down in Yugi, while continuing to stroke him.

“Ha-ah! Ha-ah! Ha-ah! Oh, gods! Ra! Unh! Osiris! Unh! Set! Unh!” Yugi grunted as he and Atem met each other, thrust for thrust.

It was too much. The coil in his core was stretched to its limit. Then, it broke, sending waves of molten heat coursing through every inch of Yugi’s body. He was vaguely aware of his rectum tightening around Atem’s presence inside him as he threw his head back and cried his release.

“My Desert Rose! Ateeeemmmmm!!!”

When Atem felt Yugi’s walls tighten around him, the last of his control snapped and he released, his white essence gushing deep inside of Yugi as he threw back his head, screaming his pleasure.

“Oh, gods above! My sunu! Yuuuuugiiiiiiii!!!!”

Then it was over and both of them slumped against the wall, Atem having just enough presence of mind to pull out of Yugi and wrap his arms around his habibi.

/
c 1270 BC
Waset, Kemet

Cleaning up after the sandstorm had taken everyone the whole day. Much to the priests’ consternation, Atem had removed his cape and insisted on helping in the cleanup. Only after a warning glare from him had they fallen silent and accepted his labor.

Working side by side Hebai and Atem swept the grains of sand back outside where they belonged, then came a lot of mopping and dusting.

Now, as Ra’s chariot descended into the western sky, Atem and Hebai sat out on his western balcony, watching the sky slowly pinken as the day’s light retreated. Hebai loved the color of the deep red tones that were just beginning to appear, for they reminded him of a certain Pharaoh’s eyes, beautiful and fierce, also loving and kind.

Hebai chanced a glance up at Atem now who, upon sensing the glance, looked back down at him and smiled softly. Hebai closed his eyes as a pair of soft hands caressed his cheeks and opened his lips in anticipation of the kiss. Soft and sweet at first, it deepened into something much more longing.

Hebai would have given a little ‘eep’ when he was suddenly lifted into Atem’s lap, but his mouth was otherwise occupied. The feeling of fingers worming their way under his tunic, caused him to smile and wriggle as all his ticklish spots were playfully brushed against.

Atem began moving his tongue in Hebai’s mouth in that strange way that felt like the insides of his cheeks were being tickled. This, along with those fingers on his rib cage, proved to be his undoing.

“Heee hee hee hee heee!” Hebai laughed, muffled by Atem’s mouth on his.

Deciding that fair was fair, Hebai wormed his fingers under Atem’s tunic and found purchase on that strong rib cage, then began his assault. This caused Atem to flinch and pull back, staring at his lover.

“You cheeky little,” the Pharaoh smirked.

Hebai smiled innocently and the two descended into an all out tickle war, tunics and any interfering jewelry quickly being cast aside for easier access. One moment, Atem was on top of Hebai, enjoying the smaller man’s writing and laughter. The next, Hebai would strike an unusually sensitive spot that would be the Pharaoh’s undoing, then Atem would be writhing and laughing under him.

So the madcap game continued, even as Nut covered the sky in her dark body, tiny stars winking on, one by one.
/
Monday, October 31, 2005
The white house

Yugi and Atem took the bus back to the white house and let themselves in through the front door.

“Jou, we’re home!” Yugi called as he and Atem stepped out of their footgear and up into the house.

“Hello, you two,” came the familiar female voice as Mai came out to greet them.

“Mai-sensei,” said Atem with a bow.

“Hi there. I’ve been hearing some surprising things about you two from Numbskull,” said Mai.

“I heard dat!” Jou’s voice called from the dining room.

“Atem, since you were out, I took over your kitchen and made breakfast,” said Mai. “There’s plenty of it.”

“Thanks!” cried Yugi, breaking from Atem’s side and charging into the dining room before Jou could eat it all.

“Well, Mai-sensei, it looks like from here forward, I’ll be looking after Yugi and you’ll be looking after Jou,” smirked Atem.

“It would seem so. I hate to see the three of you split up, but that seems to be part of growing up,” sighed Mai.

“It is. But we’ll all get together for the New Year,” promised Atem.

“That would be great. Let’s get in and get some breakfast before Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum eat it all,” said Mai.

“Ha ha! Yes!” agreed a grinning Atem.
After breakfast…

The two couples retreated to the bedrooms of the tenants of the white house to pack up clothes and other belongings. Furniture would be left behind or removed at a later date.

In Yugi’s room, Atem helped Yugi to carefully take down and roll up his posters of Ancient Egypt and the cartouche sketch that still reposed next to his pillow.

Packing up the computer was the most nerve wracking part. Every sharp movement had Yugi’s nerves on end. At last though, the computer was dismantled and stowed away to be moved to Yugi’s old room at the game shop.

“There. Now you can breathe easily again,” teased Atem as he and Yugi finished taping up the box.

“Uh… heh heh!” laughed Yugi, rubbing the back of his neck. “Let’s pack your PC now.”

“Mm!” nodded Atem.

In Atem’s room, Yugi watched as Atem moved quickly and efficiently, unplugging all the cords and moving the monitor, keyboard/mouse and tower into their boxes, not a hint of nervousness on his features.

This done, all that was left was to pack up Atem’s clothes, since Atem had never decorated his room with much by way of posters or knick knacks.

‘Maybe because he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to stay. Maybe he’ll decorate his room once we move into the game shop,’ Yugi thought as he helped Atem fold and stow away clothes.
In the kitchen, Atem and Yugi went about emptying the fridge of its contents, putting them into coolers to be taken to the game shop. Yugi pulled out a bag with what appeared to be soil in it and held it up to Atem.

“This yours?” he asked.

“Ah! Yes, it is. Thank you,” said Atem quickly as he took it and put it in a cooler.

“What is it?” asked Yugi.

“It’s a surprise for later,” Atem answered with as secretive smile.

“Pffft!” was Yugi’s response as he continued pulling out food.

‘Cheeky little thing,’ thought Atem with a smirk.
Atem and Yugi met up with Jou and Mai, who had been busy packing as many of Jou’s clean clothes into a suitcase as possible, Mai determined to wash or burn the dirty ones later on.

“We had a lotta great times here, a lotta memories,” said Yugi, voice breaking despite his best efforts.

A gentle squeeze was laid to his shoulders.

“We’ll have even more good times in our home. We’ll make so many new memories together,” rumbled Atem’s voice.

“Yeah,” wall Yugi could trust himself to say in reply.

“Dun worry, Yuge. Dis ain’t gonna change nothin’. We’re all gonna hang out regulah,” said Jou by way of comforting Yugi.

“That’s right, Yugi. Remember, good friends are always together in spirit,” said Mai with a gentle smile.

“OK,” smiled Yugi.

The quartet stepped into their shoes, then with one last look around, stepped out of the house and shut it up tight, leaving behind a bit of themselves for the old place to absorb and treasure as part of its own memories.
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Darkness Before Dawn