Okay guys. This is my Christmas gift to my readers. It's mobiumshipping. I was kind of sick of all the lust-induced entirely smut mobiumshipping fics, so I decided to fix that myself. This has incest (trippletcest) and yaoi. Don't like, you have the right to click that little x button in the top of the screen and forget this ever happened. Alright then.
I worked INSANELY hard on this; it would be much appreciated if you'd drop a review my way. If you ask a question, I might respond.
Also, later tonight I will be putting up a starshipping fanfic, so if you enjoyed this you should check that out. It'll be MUCH shorter though.
I don't own YuGiOh! Or any characters associated with it. Those belong to Kazuki Takahashi, I do not take credit for his work.
The sun was casting its warm rays on the horizon, streaking the ground with color and vibrancy. It was Easter morning, and something could be observed scurrying around in the bushes, collecting its evening meal.
If one were to look at the Mutou family now, all would appear normal. Grandma was napping, mom, dad, aunts and uncles were all having "adult" conversations, and six year olds Yami, Yuugi and Atem had been banished to the small playhouse in the garden.
You see, the three boys were monumentally close. So close, you couldn't even tell that they were brothers. Some of that could probably be contributed to the fact that they were triplets, but even triplets would be more inclined to fight than these three. They just seemed to naturally get along.
Well, sometimes.
Yami and Yuugi were fraternal twins, born from the same egg. Atem, however, had appeared on his own accord, and therefor had inherited their father's dark Egyptian tones in his skin.
Nobody was quite sure how, but Yami and Yuugi had naturally differentiated themselves from one another. There was still no mistaking that they were twins, but you could tell with a glance who was who. Yuugi had rounder, softer features, even from a young age. Yami's bangs spiked upwards as well as maintaining the same downward, face-framing look as Yuugi's had. Yami's personality was more mischievous and could be considered cold or cautious, depending upon who you were. Yuugi had somehow managed to end up an inch or so shorter than his brothers, who were evenly matched for height.
"Atem, I'm bored." Yami whined. He and Yuugi had spent the last ten minutes being 'customers' at Atem's restaurant, which basically consisted of ordering a salad and watching as Atem would gather various items: grass, tree bark, leaves, salad, and (if you were lucky) flowers to go on top. He'd then run right back and pretend to mix the ingredients in front of you. Yuugi could be content watching Atem mix things for hours, but Yami, however, would get impatient fairly quick. He had no love for cooking like Atem, and no endless patience that Yuugi had somehow aquired.
"Well, do you wanna be the chef?" Atem asked, raising an eyebrow. "I want a turn being Yuugi's date anyways."
"I already told you, it's not a date, Atem. It's two friends having lunch." Yuugi said defiantly. Yami rolled his eyes as he looked at Yuugi.
"Yeah,yeah, shut up, date." He said. Yuugi gave a huffy sigh, although by now he was much accustomed to his older brother's snarky comments. Yami had somehow inherited their father's personality; the other two had more or less gotten his mother's more docile genes.
"How about we play something else?" Yami asked. Atem raised an eyebrow as if to ask, 'you think something could be better than playing restaurant?'
"We could play house!" Yuugi out bursted suddenly. Yami and Atem shared a glance, and it was officially decided.
They were playing house.
"Who's gonna be who, guys?" Yuugi asked, knowing that a decision had been reached in the moment of silence.
"I wanna be the daddy." Yami and Atem said in unison. They immediately turned on each other.
"You don't get to be the daddy; you're pale like mommy, so you be the mommy." Atem argued. Yami's eyes widened.
"No, you like to cook like mommy. You're going to be the mommy!" Yami said, narrowing his eyes. Red stared into red, and the tension was so thick that you could cut it with a butter knife.
"If you guys are gonna fight about it, I'm gonna be the daddy." Yuugi said bravely. Both of the other boys stared at him in utter shock.
"But you're short. You should be the kid." Yami said.
"My height has nothing to do with it. There are short daddies." Yuugi said, blinking. He was working up some tears; if Yami didn't like that he was a short daddy, he'd have to overcome his signature puppy dog eyes.
"Okay." Atem agreed with a shrug. Yami opened his mouth to protest, but he gave up, instead deciding that the whole thing wasn't worth it.
"Then who will be the mommy?" Yuugi asked, looking between the two.
"I will." Yami volunteered. Yuugi smiled, happy that he was finally getting everyone to cooperate. It was always fun to play house, but he'd always dreaded the fights that came with it. He supposed that he had to admit that it could be worse.
"Okay, so I'm the kid." Atem said proudly, puffing up his chest. Yami grabbed Yuugi's hand and practically dragged him over to the sink, where Yami started pretending to do dishes. Yuugi watched with mild interest, his eyes darting back and forth between Yami and Atem. He wasn't sure who was going to instigate the conversation first, but he knew someone was going to talk soon.
"So, how was your day at work today?" Yami asked in his best Mommy voice. Atem choked back a laugh at the nasley tone, knowing that Yami would put him in the corner for a pretend timeout if he heard it.
"It was long and hard. Jim had some troubles getting done, Bob had the usual family complaints." Yuugi said, mimicking their father's daily monologue. It varied, but it all boiled down to the same basic message every time: Work sucked.
"Aww dear, I'm sorry." Yami said, leaning back to give Yuugi a big kiss on the cheek. Yuugi squeaked, having forgotten about that part of the daily routine.
"O-Of course." Yuugi stuttered out. "How were the kids today?" He asked.
"Well, Atem was just a little angel." Yami said sarcastically. Yuugi elbowed him a little for breaking character to make a snarky comment, and Yami huffed. Yuugi never let him have any fun.
"That's good. Atem, how was school?" Yuugi asked. Atem perked up and launched into a very creative story about the lab rats escaping their cages and causing terror and torment to all of the teachers and students. Yuugi listened intently the entire time, happy that Atem could come up with a story so well. It was always fun to play pretend with somebody as creative as him.
"That sounds nice." Yami said from over Yuugi's shoulder. During Atem's story, he had gone ahead and prepared 'dinner', and he chose that moment to come and set it down with a plop in front of Yuugi.
Yuugi felt confusion swim through him as Yami grabbed his face, turning his head towards his own. He remained silent, trusting that Yami would explain it soon.
Yami leaned down and gently kissed him, putting his arms around Yuugi's neck.
"Kids, dinner!" Their mother called, causing Yami to pull away. He and Atem danced out of the small playhouse like nothing had ever happened, leaving Yuugi to sit there in awe and shock.
He lifted a hand up to touch his lips. Yami had never done that while playing house before, and he wasn't sure how he felt about it.
"Yuugi! Come and eat!" Came their mother's voice again. Yuugi shook his head and decided not to mention it, getting up and walking out the door. He was pretty hungry.
Not but two weeks later, screaming could be heard rocking their little house.
"What do you mean, MY fault? You're the one who doesn't know how to cooperate!" Yelled Mommy's voice. Yuugi whimpered and slid downwards in his bed.
"And you blow MY hard-earned money on ridiculous, unnecessary things! There shouldn't be anything to cooperate over!" Daddy yelled back. Yuugi let out a slightly louder whimper at this; he didn't like it when mommy and daddy fought; they always shook the house and kept him up late into the night with it. Not only that, but they'd been getting worse and worse, with more and more fights. Yuugi was confused; if people loved each other, why would they treat each other that way? Yami and Atem fought sometimes, but it was never as bad as when Mommy and Daddy did.
Atem was sitting up in his bed, he himself trying to get to sleep, when he heard Yuugi's whimper. He'd had his covers pulled over his hair, so he slowly slid them down to see Yami looking at him from the top bunk of he and Yuugi's shared bunk bed. They shared a glance, and no words were needed.
Atem shook his head yes, scooting over in his bed.
"Yuugi?" Yami said gently, leaning over the side. Yuugi could barely see Yami's blood red eyes peeking out from above him, his hair swaying as it fought the reverse gravity. Yami ha been told explicitly, (several times, in fact) that he shouldn't hang over the side of the bed, but that made no difference. He didn't listen to his parents anyways.
"You're not supposed to do that." Yuugi whispered. Yami rolled his eyes.
"Yuugi, do you want to come sleep with me?" Yami asked. He realized by the look on Yuugi's face that he was going to try and brave it out, so he quickly added, "I don't like the way mommy and daddy are fighting like this. I want to cuddle."
Yuugi had lately (lord only knows how) been on this thing where he'd always try to be strong. He didn't want help from anybody, he wouldn't LET anybody help him, even if they offered. Yuugi wanted to do things on his own.
"O-okay." Yuugi said tentatively, hopping out of bed. He crinkled his eyebrows together as Yami followed in his footsteps, jumping out of the top bunk with a soft thud. "Aren't we going to sleep in your bed?"
"No, that would be leaving Atem out." Yami countered. Yuugi spun around to find that Atem was holding open his blanket with a small smile.
"You want to cuddle too?" Yuugi asked. Atem shook his head yes and faked puppy dog eyes, scooting farther along on his bed. Yuugi hesitated for a moment.
"YOU NEVER LOVED ME! Don't you even TRY to pull that!" Came a scream from the kitchen. It was so loud and disorienting, none of the boys could think to differentiate who's voice it was. Yuugi immediately dove under the sheets, sighing when the cool fabric gently stroked his skin. He felt a warm body press against his own, and he turned to see that Yami had climbed in behind him. He felt a pair of arms snake around his waist from both sides as the three boys snuggled close in the dark.
Even if Atem's bed was the largest, it was still a squeeze to fit all three of them into it. It squeaked a bit under their weight, an it left them feeling like they had to squish to keep on.
"Thank you." Yuugi said to both of them. He felt a cool kiss planted to his cheek, and he smiled a bit. It had come from the front, so it was from Atem.
"Goodnight Yami. Goodnight Atem."
"Goodnight Yuugi." They both said at the same time.
"Jinx, you owe me a soda." Yami said quietly. Atem chose to ignore it.
"Goodnight Yami."
"Goodnight, Atem." Yami said. They shared a quick glance over Yuugi's form, before Yami's eyes drifted back to watching the rhythmic rise and fall of Yuugi's chest. After a little while of this, he grew tired and shut his eyes, laying down close to Yuugi.
Somehow, the shouts didn't seem so loud when they were with their brothers.
"What's happening?" Yuugi asked, looking up at mommy with wide, innocent eyes. Mommy's eyes were filled with tears as she looked at the boys.
"Daddy and I are going to be apart for a little while, honey. I'm sorry it has to be this way, but daddy won't be staying with us any more."
"But-Daddy-" Yuugi stuttered out, his eyes filling with tears. He loved his daddy; why did he have to go away?
"Mommy, why isn't daddy staying?" Asked Atem, always the calm one. Yami turned to him and gave a sigh.
"Because daddy doesn't want to be Mommy's husband anymore. I'm sorry sweety." She said, aiming it at nobody in particular. She was sorry that any of her children had to see this, let alone all three of them at once. It was tough for a mother to watch.
"Will we still see him?" Yami asked, putting his arms around Yuugi and pulling him close. He used his sleeve to wipe away the tears that had started to fall onto Yuugi's face before he turned back to mommy with wide, innocent eyes.
"Of course you'll still see daddy, it'll just be different when you do."
"How will it be different?" Atem asked. He didn't understand; daddy was the same daddy, and mommy was the same mommy, so how could things have changed so drastically?
"Well, he's not going to be here. He's moving out and finding his own house, and he's going to get you every other weekend." She explained. Yuugi nodded his head, and Yami and Atem shared a glance. This was going to be hard on all of them.
"Well, welcome home boys." Came the gruff voice of daddy, and he was pulled up in front of a shabby looking apartment.
"Daddy, this isn't home." Yuugi argued. Daddy didn't even acknowledge it; he just sighed and put his face in his hands.
"This is home now. A second home." Yami told him quietly. Yuugi paused and looked back to Yami. Yami didn't understand it very much either, but he didn't want Yuugi to make daddy frustrated.
The sound of the car door shutting behind them made Yuugi flinch, and he sighed before he started walking up the steps. Yami walked right behind him, carrying both of their suitcases.
"Thank you." Yuugi said to him, taking his own suitcase once they'd gotten up the stairs. Yami shrugged, turning on his heel to make sure that Atem was doing alright. He was right behind them.
"Let's get in and just go to sleep." Yami grumbled. As much as all of them typically hated nap time, he didn't like the smell of smoke in the air or the exhaustingly long car drive that it had taken to get to this place. They were seven years old now, but that didn't change the fact that they needed to rest. They had school work to get done, and they all needed to be awake to do it.
Just then, daddy came up behind them and ushered them aside, unlocking the door with a key from his belt. Each of them watched in silence as the door slowly slipped open, and each of them piled inside. It was messier than Mommy's house and smelled faintly of cigarette smoke, but none of them found anything too appalling.
"There are two rooms in the back. I only have one bed, so you three will have to share. Sorry about that." Daddy said. "I'll get separate beds as soon as I can afford it." He added.
Yuugi perked up a bit. He was really looking forward to his nap now, especially if he was going to get to cuddle.
The three boys maneuvered back to the rooms, and Yuugi picked the smaller one. He'd never been one for big, open spaces. It made him feel vulnerable.
As soon as they were there, he dropped his bags on the floor with a huff and sat on the bed, watching as Yami and Atem did the same.
"I'm not tired. I'm going to the playground." Atem stated bluntly, standing up. Yuugi suddenly didn't feel so sleep deprived.
"They have a park?" He asked, grinning from ear to ear.
"Yeah, you didn't see it out the window? It looks pretty." Yami said, nodding approvingly.
"Okay! I wanna go with you!" Yuugi volunteered, standing up proud. Atem looked at him and smiled, shaking his head in acceptance of the idea. He promptly turned to Yami.
"You wanna go? Last one there is a rotten egg." He said teasingly. Yami smirked.
"You're on, rotten egg." He said easily, putting off an air of cockiness that not even Robert Downy Junior could match.
So, (after quickly telling their father where they were going) they proceeded to absolutely sprint the two blocks to the park, Yuugi walking behind.
"Danngit!" Yami yelled as he fell behind two inches. He'd almost beaten Atem, but he'd stumbled on the curb side.
"Haha! You're a rotten egg!" Atem mocked, sticking out his tongue. Yami narrowed his eyes and growled.
"This time!" He said, and Atem stuck out his tongue. Yami rolled his eyes and crossed his arms pompously before he scanned the playground, looking for something to do. His eyes settled on a large set of swings, and he immediately walked over to them and plopped himself down.
Yuugi walked up behind them, several minutes later, enjoying the view of the place. It was quite nice, and the slides looked like they would be fun. A couple of other kids were running around, but none (other than his brothers) particularly caught his eye as a potential playmate.
Yuugi hopped over to a bench and sat down, admiring the bush by himself. It had large, pink flowers growing from it, the kind that were vibrant and looked straight out of a painting. He reached over gently to pick one, and he held it tenderly, slowly rubbing the soft petals between his fingers. A slow smile came to his face as he did so.
Suddenly, he heard a sound. A light sniffle came from behind him. He turned around to see a young girl, a couple of years behind himself. She looked pretty with long blonde hair and startlingly blue eyes, along with some freckles that looked like they may fade with age. He liked them, though.
"Why are you crying?" He asked, looking down at her. She lifted her eyes slowly, as if she was afraid Yuugi was a mirage and moving too fast would make him go away.
"My sister pushed me." She responded slowly, standing up and starting to wipe the tears from her eyes.
"Well, you're much too pretty to cry." He complemented, handing her the flower. Her eyes lit up, and she smiled widely.
"Thank you! Here, let me give you something." She said, coming across to the other side of the bench. She scooted just a little bit closer to Yuugi before she quickly darted to press their lips together and pulled away. Yuugi froze completely.
"Hey! What are you doing to him?" Accused Atem's voice, as he came stomping over. He was ANGRY.
"She was just being nice." Yuugi said, not wanting to invoke his brother's wrath. He wasn't really sure why Atem was angry in the first place; it was just a kiss, anyways.
"No, she kissed you. Only boyfriends and girlfriends are supposed to kiss each other." Atem said, glaring at her. At this point, Yami had wandered over to see what all the fuss was about.
"She kissed him?" Yami asked, then immediately glared holes through the girl.
"Maybe we ARE boyfriend and girlfriend!" She explained defiantly. Atem raised an eyebrow at Yuugi.
"No, we aren't. But she was just being nice, Atem. You shouldn't be a big meanie about it." Yuugi told him, sticking out his tongue. Atem visibly recoiled.
"I'm not trying to be a meanie. I just don't want her to kiss you." He said with a frown. "You wouldn't say the same thing if Yami or I kissed you."
"Yes I would. Yami has kissed me. Remember that day we were playing house?" Yuugi insisted. Atem's eyes became slightly unfocused as he remembered that day from childhood.
"Oh yeah." He said, sounding a lot less pissed. He shrugged and walked forward, sitting down on the bench in between Yuugi and the small girl.
"My name's Rebecca." She informed Yuugi and Atem. Yami had lost interest as soon as he was assured that Yuugi and her were not, in fact, going out, and had traveled to the tire swing.
"I'm Atem." He said dismissively, and then he did something Yuugi never would've expected.
Atem leaned down and kissed him too, just a little bit longer than Rebecca had.
"I'm gonna go and play with Yami now. Bye!" He waved, smiling broadly. Yuugi sat there awestruck, looking after him and not moving a muscle until he was out of sight.
"Are you alright?" Asked Rebecca, a light pout gracing her face. Yuugi snapped out of it and turned towards her quickly.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry!" He said sheepishly, smiling.
Later that night, as he laid in bed with Yami and Atem's arms around him, he found himself thinking back to the kisses.
The thing that surprised him the most was that out of the two, he wasn't dwelling on Rebecca's.
Yuugi felt his back pressed against the wall. Terror was coursing through his body, he wanted to run and he wanted to hide an he wanted to disappear all at once, but he couldn't, no matter how hard he tried. 'This is pathetic!' He scolded himself, 'You're thirteen, and you can't even handle a bully!'
"Awww, somebody looks scared." Ushio commented, stepping forward. His intimidating aura make Yuugi want to shiver unpleasantly, but he held it in. Any sign of physical discomfort would be taken as a sign of weakness, and that would only urge Ushio to continue.
"Ushio, this is immature and stupid." Yuugi said flatly, trying his best to keep his face blank.
"You take that back!" He hissed.
"You didn't even know what half of those words meant!" Yuugi said defensively. Ushio paused for a moment, before he decided that it was still acceptable to be angry over it.
"Get ready for the beating of your life, Mutou!" He yelled, making his hand a fist and aggressively shaking it. Yuugi gulped and closed his eyes, knowing that if he tensed up it would hurt more.
"What the hell do you think you're doing to him?" Came a deep voice from behind. Ushio turned on his heel as Yuugi's eyes snapped open.
"Well, I was gonna hit him. Why, you want a turn?" Ushio asked, not yet seeing the source of the voice. A pair of red eyes glowed from behind a hoodie, and Yuugi internally groaned.
"Not exactly." The voice chuckled. Yami stepped out of the shadows, ripping off his hood and glaring daggers at the man hovering above his brother. "I'd like a chance to hit you, if that's what you're offering."
"Oh, so now the little boy can't fight his own battles?" Ushio mocked, still directing all of his anger towards Yuugi, "You need your brother to come stand up for ya?"
"Believe me Ushio, I didn't ask him to do this." Yuugi said flatly, glaring at Yami. Yami gave a light shrug; he wasn't about to stand by and watch his little brother get beat up just because he was too passive aggressive to fight back. Yuugi was smart, an he could think of ways to hurt Ushio. He just didn't, because violence was such a foreign concept for him.
"Well, I'm here now. We gonna have some fun or what?" Yami asked, flashing a dangerous smirk. He had his weapon of choice tucked neatly in his front pocket; his yo-yo. As odd as it sounded, Yami had trained himself to do some serious damage with that thing.
"No. You're going to leave, or I'm going to hurt you." Ushio growled, his eyes lighting up dangerously. A smirk graced Yami's face as he tightened his grip on his yo-yo. This was going to be fun.
"I think you're confused as to how this is going to work." Yami informed him dryly. Ushio wore a look of confusion on his face, and Yami and Yuugi both briefly wondered how somebody with such a low IQ would get into school at all.
"What do you-" Ushio started, but he was cut off as his butt abruptly hit the ground. Yami had pulled out his yo-yo with lightning fast speed and quickly thrown it at him, making it wrap around his leg and uproot him.
Ushio stood there dumbfounded for a moment, before a special brand of rage appeared in his eyes. He looked at Yami like he'd just torn out his mother's soul as he began to slowly pick himself up off the ground, nothing but animosity in his glare.
"You have ten seconds." He hissed, completely turned to face Yuugi. He then began to count down.
"Ten."
Yami looked at Yuugi, gesturing for him to go while Ushio's back was turned. He figured that Yuugi would be smart enough to know where he was going to go; there was one whom both of them always turned to in situations like this.
"Nine." Yuugi shook his head, but he slowly obeyed, slinking out from behind Ushio and around the corner of the school, moving as quickly as he could.
"Eight." Yami noted that he was moving in the right direction. Good, he wouldn't need any more time now.
"Seven."
"Look at you, counting backwards! I wouldn't have assumed you knew how to." Yami sneered, cutting in on Ushio's show. His face became blood red, and you could practically see the steam wafting from his ears. He roared with rage, and Yami turned, immediately beginning the game of cat and mouse.
"I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" Ushio shrieked, beginning to run. Yami sprinted off, immediately gaining the advantage with his high speed and agile body.
"GET BACK HERE!" Ushio screamed. Yami didn't listen, his legs already taking him on the familiar path. He ran into the small clump of trees on the school property, then curved around a bit, knowing that this would lead him to the proper destination. These woods went right by it.
Yami took his yo-yo and threw it upwards, yanking roughly and waiting until he heard a pop before he loosened the tension, untangling the yo-yo and bringing it back to him. He heard another scream of rage, and he knew that he'd succeeded in downing the branch and slowing Ushio's progress. He almost laughed in glee as he ran along, ducking under some branches and increasing his pace. He had to get there in time; the doors had to be locked.
He ran as fast as was physically possible to make the last dash; he saw the locker rooms just in front of him and he tore open the door, running inside and shutting it firmly behind him, locking the small chain on top that was going to keep Ushio out.
Hopefully.
Yami's back hit the door in relief as he slowly slid down it. He heard a set of footsteps coming towards him... No, TWO sets.
He was really in for it now.
"What the hell were you thinking? You couldn't have just gone and gotten a teacher?" Atem demanded. Yami noted that Yuugi was standing safely behind him, and he decided that it was worth it.
"I didn't have enough time to go and grab a teacher, Yuugi would have had a black eye if I had waited any longer." He defended, glaring at Atem. "Anyways, did you manage to get everyone out in time, or do we have brats to entertain?" He asked. He'd met the football team that Atem was on, and he wasn't too fond of any of them. They all seemed way too pretentious to be friends with Atem, let alone his teammates. His only consolance was that some of them were also on the dueling team with him and Yuugi, so he could always lean an ear in and listen to what was happening on the team.
Yami hadn't originally wanted to join the duel team. His mother had required that they each join an extracurricular, and he'd figured that being on the team with Yuugi would give him a chance to make sure nothing bad happened to him. After initially joining, he'd actually discovered that he had quite the knack for it; the only person on the entire team that could beat him was Yuugi, and even he had trouble with it. So, Yami had come to love the duel team, even if I wasn't originally his cup of tea.
"Everyone except for me, Yuugi, and you are already out." Atem informed him dryly. Yami flinched as he heard a loud thud against the door, and a scream of rage filtered through the shut door.
"Good, because I have a feeling that we're going to be in here for quite awhile." He replied, rubbing the back of his head. Yuugi put his face in his hands for a moment before sighing and pulling his head up, leaving his hands laying flat in the air for a moment.
Yami stood up and stretched, yawning a bit. He could never get to sleep anymore, so he was constantly feeling tired and a little bit worn down from everything that was happening. Yes, he suffered from what is commonly known as Insomnia. Well, sometimes. It was a funny thing in his case; it would come and go, sometimes tormenting him for weeks at a time and sometimes coming only for a couple of nights.
Last night had been the fifth in a series of practically sleepless nights, and he felt exhausted.
Yami walked past his brothers, into the typical changing room. He sat down on one of the benches, laying his entire body on top of it and closing his eyes, trying to tune out Ushio's yelling.
"What are you doing?" Yuugi asked, poking his head around the corner to look at Yami.
"Well, I was going to sleep, since we're gonna be here for awhile." Yami informed him. Yuugi sighed and shook his head.
"Okay. But you have to sleep on the floor, there are no other benches that aren't wet." Yuugi said, gesturing around him. Yami sat up and looked around, finding that Yuugi was right. He made a face, looking down at the floor.
"The floor is wet, too." He commented.
"Sorry. The boys don't exactly worry about whether or not they're dry after the showers." Atem said, rolling his eyes. "It's like living with twenty different versions of Yami." Atem ducked as one of Yami's shoes flew by his head. "Don't get that tone with me, your part of the room is always messy. Plus, you never blow dry your hair and you drip all over the place."
"I threw a shoe, how could I have gotten a tone?" Yami asked flatly. He knew it was true, but he wasn't about to admit that to his stubborn "older" brother. Older by about three minutes, and Atem would never let him forget it.
"Actions speak louder than words." Atem replied with a snort, walking over to the bench Yami was laying on and hovering over him. Yami rolled his eyes and sat up, making room for both Yuugi and Atem to flank his sides. There was a moment of comfortable silence.
"So, what are we gonna do while we wait out Ushio?" Yuugi asked, looking up to his older brothers. Atem and Yami shared a glance.
"Well, we could play a game." Atem suggested. "Most of the boys in the locker room play a round of truth or dare."
"That sounds fun." Yuugi commented with a shrug. Yami shook his head.
"I have an app for it on my iPod." Yami informed them. Atem narrowed his eyes.
"Those things can be dangerous." Atem warned. Yami waved it off.
"I'm sure it will be fine. We don't have the materials to do most of the ridiculously stupid dares." Yami said. "We won't be covering anyone's face in honey tonight."
"Okay. I'm game." Yuugi agreed. Yami reached into his pocket and pulled out his iPod, opening the app. He began to enter the names and genders of all the players, and then pressed to continue.
'Hold on there! It'll be more fun with people of each gender!' Flashed across the screen. Yami smirked and went back, changing Yuugi's from being marked with a proud 'M' to a dainty 'F'. Sort of gender biased if you asked him, but whatever.
"Yuugi, I marked you as a girl." Yami said flatly, shaking the iPod to make it randomly select a player.
"Hey! What did you do that for?" Yuugi accused.
"The app said it would be more fun with players of both gender." He said. Yuugi crossed his arms and pouted, but he didn't argue it.
"Yami, this sounds like trouble." Atem said warningly. Yami ignored him as Yuugi's name flashed across the screen.
"Yuugi, truth or dare?" Yami questioned, turning towards his younger brother.
"Well, truth, I guess." Yuugi said with a shrug. Yami pressed the button.
"Okay, it says, 'How long have you liked who you like right now?'" Yami read aloud, then turned to Yuugi.
"Well, I don't really like anyone." Yuugi said, biting his lip. He hadn't even thought to focus on dating yet, with school and everything else going on. Yuugi wasn't the type to look for a relationship; he'd wait for one to come to him.
"Okay, but I'm only letting you off with that answer because I know that's true." Yami said, giving it another shake.
Several turns passed like that, with the iPod unfortunately getting passed between Yuugi and Atem. Yami sat impatiently, waiting for his turn, when he fully intended to have the first dare. He knew that Yuugi and Atem would neither be brave enough to take it.
Finally, the dang thing complied with his wishes and landed on his name. Yami smirked and clicked the dare button, clearing his throat in anticipation to read it.
"I chose dare. It says," he began, before his jaw promptly dropped down.
Atem leaned over to read the screen, seeing Yami's shocked expression. "It says that Yami and Yuugi have to kiss." He read out loud, feeling a bit smug at the fact that he was right. "I told you so."
"WHAT?!" Yuugi exclaimed, his face turning bright red.
"Yup. If Yami doesn't do it, he loses the game." Atem said teasingly. Yami was still staring at the iPod in shock, but he quickly recovered, putting on a poker face. One would never know he'd ever broken it.
"Well, I'm not about to lose." He said, putting an arm around Yuugi.
"B-but-" Yuugi stuttered out, his entire face turning a bright shade of crimson.
"You can't deny it, it wasn't your dare." Atem said. "You have to go with it."
"Yeah, time to pucker up." Yami said teasingly, and his hand came up to turn Yuugi's face slowly towards his.
Yuugi froze completely, Yami's intense gaze freezing him in place. He felt-was that anticipation?- rising in his stomach, and he could feel himself relaxing just the slightest bit as Yami leaned forward, and his breath ghosted over Yuugi's lips.
This wasn't right. He wasn't supposed to want this to happen. He should be entirely disgusted right now, but he wasn't. He leaned forward just the slightest bit, licking his lips slightly in anticipation. His eyes closed of their own accord, and he could only assume that Yami's did the same.
A moment of hesitation, an Yami leaned forward to seal their lips eagerly, Yuugi shivered as Yami's lips slowly moved against his in an amazing way, making him feel lightheaded. He put his arms around Yami's neck without thinking, acting on instinct.
Yami's hands snaked around Yuugi's waist, pulling him closer. Yami had kissed a few different girls before, and he could honestly say that it had never once felt this strong.
"Okay, break it up." Atem said, pulling Yami's shirt. He looked between them and felt a small bit of jealousy.
The really confusing part was that he wasn't sure which one he was jealous of, or for that matter, why.
"Okay." Yami said with a smirk. Yuugi panted slightly, a small blush still covering the bridge of his nose.
They stopped playing truth or dare after that.
Yami sat in the middle of his history class, looking out the window boredly. He had nothing to do but pay half attention to the lecture, and THAT wasn't about to entertain him. He had no choice but to shrug it off and hope that he'd get an opportunity to liven it up a little.
He snuck a glance at Yuugi, up in the front row and eagerly taking notes. Atem was seated two seats to his right, and he looked like he was half paying attention, too. Suddenly, Atem leaned forward and an eyebrow rose, so Yami decided that it would be a good time to tune in.
"So, Japanese folklore says that if starcrossed lovers commit suicide, they'll get reincarnated as a pair of twins." The teacher said, not taking her eyes off of the book. Atem and Yami shared a glance, silently fighting over who would get to... Er... Liven up class.
Finally, it dawned on Yami, and a smirk crossed his face. They could BOTH liven it up.
Yami stood up, making sure that his chair made plenty of noise as he did. What luck that he, Atem and Yuugi had ended up in the same history class?
"You can say that again." Yami announced, taking a couple of large steps over to Atem's chair.
Atem put on a dangerous smirk and yanked Yami down into his lap, wrapping his arms around his waist and giving off a light humming sound. Yami leaned back into his chest, surveying the stunned looks from his classmates. Aaah, sometimes being a twin could have it's advantages.
"Oh, you know it, butter cup." Atem purred. Yami snorted.
"Come on, why don't you tell them what you really call me? Hmmm?"
"Oh, you mean kitten?" Atem said playfully. Suddenly, an idea popped into Yami's head, and he smirked largely.
"No, that's what you call Yuugi." Yami reminded him playfully, turning so he could place and hand on Atem's chest.
"Oh, right. Speaking of which, why doesn't our little kitten join us?" Atem asked.
A muffled, "I'm good." Came from Yuugi, who had put his head down on his desk. He didn't even want to see what his brothers were doing right now. It was just easier to pretend that nothing was happening and hide the blush on his face.
Of course, that wasn't about to stay like that for long. He felt a pair of arms wrap around his waist and hoist him up, pulling him back to where Atem waited.
"Why thank you, Yami." Atem said affectionately, "we just wouldn't be complete without our third, now would we?" Atem questioned. Yami shook his head yes, and Yuugi let out a gulp. This was NOT good.
Yami sat back down onto Atem's lap, pulling Yuugi into his.
"I NEVER ASKED FOR THIS!" Yuugi squeaked, burying his face in his hands. Yami moved his hands and put them at his sides, revealing Yuugi's blushing face to the now snickering class. The teacher was too stunned to say anything.
"Now now now, Yuugi. I want to see those pretty lips of yours." Yami said, putting a hand up to slowly stroke across Yuugi's lips. "Now how about a kiss?" Yami asked. Yuugi shook his head violently, and Yami pretended to pout.
"Atem, Yuugi won't give me a kiss!" Yami exclaimed.
"Don't worry Yami, I'll give you a big ol' kiss." Atem cooed, taking Yami's face and turning it towards him. Yami leaned in automatically, at the same time Atem did. Both was expecting the other to pull away.
Neither did.
Yami's lips graced Atem's, and both of them jumped a little. A small surge of pleasure was shared, and Atem had a slight blush as they quickly pulled away. That was... More than he'd expected from a kiss with Yami. He saw now why Yuugi hadn't wanted to pull away when they'd kissed the other night.
"Oops." Yami said, still smirking. All the other students were gaping in shock now, and the teacher finally broke out of her trance.
"MR. MUTOU." She announced heatedly. "Yami AND Atem, detention for in class PDA." She said, standing up. Yami put Yuugi down and hopped off of Atem's lap after him, (Atem's legs had fallen asleep, but he hadn't really minded) a smirk still on his face. Yuugi's face was covered in his hands again, trying to hide his absolute humiliation over the behavior of his brothers.
"Yuugi, you're spared for now." She said. Yuugi put his hands down and walked to his desk with his eyes on the floor, refusing to meet the gazes of any of the kids. Yami couldn't resist turning and offering Atem one last wink before returning to his desk to wait out the teacher searching for the paper.
Two weeks had passed since the incident, and Yami and Atem hadn't talked about it yet. Yuugi sat on his bed with his overnight bag packed, trying to assure their mother that he'd be fine.
"Honey, are you sure? This is your first ever overnight with a friend." She said, looking worried. Yuugi shook his head and laughed it off, smiling.
"I know, mom. I'll be fine, really. It's just Joey." He said soothingly. She still paced the room.
"Honey, this will be your first night ever from Yami and Atem. Are you sure you can handle it?" She asked. Yuugi shook his head, finding his mother's constant worrying to be troublesome. He didn't need babied as much as she tried to baby him.
"Mom, I'll be fine. I'm sure." He said. A light trill sounded, an he stood up immediately, excitement flowing through him. It was the doorbell. "That must be him now. I love you!" He said, picking up his overnight bag and running out the door. His mother was left stunned and looking at the place that he had left. She stood immediately, and followed behind, listing things that he should make sure he had gotten.
Yami shut the door tightly behind her, hoping that she wouldn't come back in. He loved her, but when she was concerned, it was hard to escape the fact that she was annoying. Then again, all mothers are up to a certain extent.
Yami flopped down on the bed, giving a deep sigh. He was NOT looking forward to a night without Yuugi, especially since they had been getting closer and closer lately. Atem sat lounging on his own bed, reading from a magazine and mumbling incoherently about all the drama famous people had to put up with. Actually, the sight was slightly comical for someone so manly.
"Don't pout; he'll be back soon." Atem said, not looking away from his magazine. Yami sat up on his elbows and glared at Atem, sighing lightly before he lay back down, closing his eyes again. Atem was right, it was a little ridiculous for him to be missing Yuugi this much. Especially when he was just going over to a friend's house.
"Well, do you want to play a game of duel monsters with me? Because without him, I can't train properly." Yami made up an excuse, hoping that Atem would just agree. He wanted a distraction.
"Why not? It's been awhile since I've played." Atem said with a shrug, getting up and grabbing his deck from his sock drawer. Yami jumped off the bunk bed, not bothering to use the ladder, and retrieved his own from the backpack that was slung onto the floor. He smiled fondly as he looked at his cards; he didn't need to look to know that the Dark Magician was right on top.
"You ready to duel?" He asked, flashing a dangerous smile. Atem shook his head, and Yami began walking out to the living room table. It would be easier to play there. Once they arrived, they found their mother hurriedly packing something into her briefcase.
"I got called into work!" She exclaimed, grabbing the keys off of the hook. She kissed Yami's forehead as she glided past him, looking hurriedly for a paper. "I'm sorry boys, there's macaroni in the cupboard for dinner." She finished, grabbing a stack of folders triumphantly.
"Okay. Go get 'em." Atem commented, nodding to her. He knew that she was hoping for a promotion soon; she's been stuck at the job she had now for two years now. So, she had been working extra hard the last few months.
"Thank you boys!" She yelled, walking out the door. A blast of cold air greeted them momentarily, before the door was shut and they were sealed inside once again. It had randomly been colder than usual the last few weekends.
"Okay, let's play. Loser cooks dinner?" Yami proposed. Atem nodded, knowing that he would lose but also not minding the prospect of cooking.
They sat down and began, Yami beating him after about half an hour of hard work. Yami was better, but Atem could still hold his own.
"Okay, get cooking." Yami said. Atem chuckled softly as he heard Yami's stomach rumble just a little, and he got up from his chair.
Soon, Atem was dancing around the kitchen, fetching ingredients and stirring them into the simmering pot of mac n' cheese. Yami watched, slightly amused by how fancy Atem was attempting to make the most simple dish. It was certain to taste good, though.
Finally, Atem added a little bit of Aragano and scooped it into two large bowls, sliding one across the table towards Yami.
"You didn't poison it, did you?" Yami asked, tentatively taking a sniff. Atem shook his head, waiting for Yami to take a bite.
Once he did, Atem added, "Only a bit of cyanide, I save the good stuff for mom."
Yami glared at him, swallowing. It was actually really good. Then again, Yami wasn't surprised. Atem always had a way with spices.
Atem sat down himself, picking up his fork and shoveling a big bite into his mouth.
Suddenly, the dining room was cloaked in darkness.
"Turn back on the lights." Yami scolded, stabbing at his bowl. Atem froze, glancing around.
"I didn't turn off the lights, the lightbulb went out." He rationalized, glancing towards the clock. It was still working, so the power couldn't be out.
"Well, do we have any lightbulbs?" Yami questioned, though he already knew the answer.
"No, we used the last one a couple of weeks ago when the bathroom light went out." Atem said, sighing. "Do you know where a lighter is?"
"Of course." Yami said, pulling a lighter out of his pocket. He didn't smoke, but the people who opposed him did. And he's not talking about a cigarette.
"I'm not even going to ask." Atem said flatly, reaching out to grab the lighter from his hands. Their skin brushed briefly, and Atem felt goosebumps rose on his arms. When did that start happening?
"Candles are underneath the sink." Yami informed him. Atem nodded, though Yami couldn't see it in the darkness. He dropped out of his chair and crawled a couple of steps over to the sink, opening up the cabinet and fumbling around with cleaning products for a moment before retrieving a thick, red candle. He came back to the table and set it lightly on top, using the lighter to light the wick.
"Okay, here we are." He said, pushing the candle to the center of the table. Yami smirked and leaned back.
"Well, isn't this romantic?" He asked, pretending to swoon. A foot kicked his under the table, and he hissed, leg recoiling.
"Oops, I was just trying to play footsie, love." Atem said back in the same voice. Yami glared at him from across the table.
Oh, it was on.
Yami fought back, and soon they were in an epic battle of feet. They kicked and pinned each other, each trying to prove dominance over the other. This went on for a good ten minutes before Yami's feet were finally pinned under Atem's, and Atem smiled in triumph.
"That's what football can do to you; I've acquired quite the muscle." Atem mused, though he had to admit that he had quite a few bruises up and down his calves now. Yami had gotten fairly fit himself.
Yami let out a light growl.
"Looks like we know who'd top." Atem said. Yami rolled his eyes.
"Yeah yeah yeah, lover boy. What was up with you really kissing me, anyway?"
"What do you mean by that? You kissed me!" Atem defended. Yami snorted, shaking his head.
"Just keep telling yourself that." He said, tsking lightly.
They went back to eating in silence.
Yuugi stared blankly at the ceiling, wondering what was wrong. He was having plenty of fun with Joey- they had played some duel monsters, (Yuugi had convinced Joey to join the team) COD, he'd had a nice chat with Joey's mother. Everything had gone great.
So why did it feel so much like something was missing?
As he looked up in the dark room, Joey's soft snores heard from beside him, he contemplated what it was.
The bed felt almost the same as his own. The temperature was great, and he was used to sleeping in pajamas, so that wasn't it.
He closed his eyes, deciding to give up. However, when he did, it wasn't darkness that greeted him.
Yami and Atem's faces flashed across his mind, and he heard their chorused "goodnight!" Ring in his ears. Yuugi frowned slightly, turning over onto his side. He felt a slight aching in his heart, worse than it typically was when he was thinking about someone he'd left behind. He realized with a start that there laid the problem; he had left Yami and Atem.
He missed his brothers.
He reached over and grabbed his cell phone, flinching when he saw the time. However late it was, he needed to talk to them. He'd never be able to get to sleep without hearing their voices.
Being careful not to disturb Joey, Yuugi rolled out of bed and tiptoed over to the bathroom, shutting the door behind him and turning on the light. It stung his eyes momentarily as he adjusted to it, but he managed to open Yami's contact while squinting like a blind man.
Yuugi tapped his foot impatiently against the tile floor, the harsh ringing making him flinch. He had to tell Yami to change his ringtone.
A small click was heard as someone on the other line picked up.
"Hello?" Yami asked. "Yuugi, are you okay?"
"I'm fine Yami. I just wanted to call and say goodnight. You and Atem didn't kill each other while I was gone, did you?" Yuugi asked teasingly, wanting an excuse to hear Yami's voice. He hadn't realized just how much he missed him until just then. Yuugi honestly wished that he was home, as much fun as it was at Joey's.
"No. Just some bruises on our shins from a game of footsie." The admittance was met by a silence on the other end. "It's a long story."
"Okay, well, good. At least both of you are still breathing." Yuugi said with a nervous chuckle. He heard a voice deeper than Yami's on the other line mumbling something, and then a muffled reply from Yami. It sounded like they were bickering back and forth for a moment before Yami came up with a solution. Yuugi waited patiently for an explanation.
"I'm going to put you on speaker now. Atem wants to talk." Yami said. Yuugi heard the small click of a button and smiled to himself.
"Hello, Atem." He said precisely.
"Why did you call Yami first?" Atem asked immediately, a pout evident in his voice. Yami punched Atem in the arm.
"He was the first on my last dialed list." Yuugi said. "Plus, I knew I could just ask him to hand the phone to you when I was done talking to him."
"In addition to the fact that he likes me better than you." Yami defended, sticking out his tongue.
"Oh stop, I like both of you the same." Yuugi scolded. Though, it gave him a little thrill to know that Yami would be proud if he did like him better.
"Okay, okay. How did your day with Joey go?" Atem asked. He didn't want to start a fight with Yuugi on the other end of the phone.
Yuugi immediately launched into his story, sparing them no details. When he was finally done, he was out of breath and beginning to feel groggy.
"That sounds fun, aibou." Yami said. "You sound tired." Atem commented, hearing a yawn from Yuugi.
"Yeah, it is two o'clock in the morning." He said, smiling sleepishly. "I guess that means we have to go?"
"Probably so. You need your rest." Atem said. Yuugi rolled his eyes but didn't chose to say anything about Atem's over protectiveness.
"Okay, alright. I love you Atem, I love you Yami. Goodnight."
"I love you too." They both said at the same time, as they sometimes did. Yuugi didn't know why, but for some reason, hearing this from them made his chest flutter with butterflies.
"Goodnight." That one was from Yami.
"Goodnight." There went Atem.
The phone was disconnected, and Yuugi crawled back into Joey's bed, thankful that he was a heavy sleeper.
He faded off into dreamland almost immediately.
The next day, Yuugi did something that he never thought he'd do when he agreed to spend the night at Joey's house.
He lied to go home early.
It wasn't a big lie, and it was only an hour early, so it wasn't that big of a deal. But he'd still told Joey that he had a stomach ache and his medicine was left at home. He'd still lied.
He was honestly left wondering why. He didn't actually have a stomach ache. It wasn't like he was especially fond of being in his own bed, (he'd slept with Yami or Atem in his childhood more than enough times to know) so why?
Well, a better question would be, why was he rushing to get home so fast?
He busted through the door and plopped down his things, unbuttoning his coat and throwing it on the holder, letting out a groan. It was cold outside and the hot air burned his numb fingers.
"Mom?" A voice called out in uncertainty. Atem.
Yuugi felt like his knees could collapse from underneath him. He was so relieved to hear that voice after what had felt like so long.
"Ate-" Yuugi barely got out before he was scooped up into a big hug. He let out a shriek of surprise as Atem squeezed him lightly.
"I missed you." Atem said, burying his face in Yuugi's hair. Yuugi felt himself melt like butter, and he was honestly surprised he didn't collapse to the floor as Atem let go.
Most of that was probably due to another pair of arms immediately replacing Atem's. Yuugi melted again as he felt a warm pair of lips graze his ear lightly, and then hot, wet breath as Yami purred, "Welcome back, aibou."
His legs would have given out if Yami wasn't holding him, he was certain.
"I-I m-missed you two." He stuttered out at first, giving a light laugh. He composed himself and pushed Yami off of him, playfully 'tsk'ing.
"You shouldn't have attacked me from behind like that." He said with a smile. "I missed you too, you know." He added, leaning for ward to hug Yami, then Atem. His hug with Atem lasted a little longer, and he knew that Atem had stuck out his tongue at Yami. He heard Yami's growl in response.
"Boys." Yuugi scolded, pulling away. "How did you manage to avoid killing each other while I was away?"
"Don't ask me." Atem said flatly, earning a playful nudge from Yami.
"Well, we obviously made out instead of taking each other out. It was a nice compromise." Yami said with a wink. Atem rolled his eyes a little, but decided that it was worth it to play along.
"Yeah, but Yami accidentally whispered your name a couple of times." He shot back at Yuugi. Yuugi's face immediately turned tomato red.
"You guys!" He complained, turning around and putting his face in his hands. Yami wrapped his arms around him again, and Yuugi honestly didn't mind.
"One of these days someone's going to take you two seriously and think we're in some freaky triplet-cest relationship."
"And they'll be a hundred percent correct." Atem said solemnly. Yuugi groaned.
"Yuugi, you wanna go cuddle?" Yami offered playfully. Yuugi shook his head no, but that didn't matter. He felt himself falling lightly, his legs seemingly having given out underneath him, and he was pulled up into two strong arms.
"Yami, put me down, you're going to hurt yourself." He announced. Yami rolled his eyes and started walking. Yuugi sighed and gave up arguing.
Yami carried Yuugi back to the bedroom and threw him in his own bed, much to Yuugi's surprise. He figured that they would lay in Atem's bed- it was honestly much more suited to two people than the thin bunk.
Yami smiled as Yuugi's eyes widened in confusion. He quickly slipped into the bed with him, wrapping an arm around him and pulling him close.
"What are you doing? Yami, this is weird." Yuugi complained. "Normal siblings don't cuddle like this. Let me go." He said, but with no conviction. So, Yami unwrapped his arms and gestured towards the outside world.
"If you want to go so badly, go." He said, hoping with all of his heart that Yuugi wouldn't go. It would sting to have him leave like that.
"Isn't Atem going to be joining us?" He asked. Yami shook his head no, smiling a bit.
"Atem had some homework he had to get done, and he has a practice that the coach called in later. It's just you and me." Yami clarified. Yuugi shook his head, blushing again.
"Okay, fine." He said. He turned around to face Yami and got comfortable before scooting a little bit closer, laying his head down on Yami's chest.
"I knew you'd come around." Yami said playfully. He didn't want to risk scaring Yuugi off though, so he didn't pull him tightly against him like he had before. He laid of hand on Yuugi's lower back and began to softly play with his hair with the other.
"Mmmmmm, that feels nice, Yami." Yuugi cooed, snuggling in closer. Yami shook his head lightly, smiling just the tiniest bit. Sometimes, he really could imagine Yuugi as his lover. Not much would have to change, honestly.
They'd have to move to a different town, tell people they weren't related... He had honestly planned on moving far away anyways. They'd move somewhere where gay marriage was legalized and eventually tie the knot, maybe adopt some kids. But where would that leave Atem?
Well, Yami thought back to what Yuugi had implied earlier. 'Triplet-cest', as he'd so delicately put it. Yami honestly couldn't imagine life without Atem, as he couldn't imagine a life without Yuugi, either. But was Atem someone Yami could really love?
After a moment, he decided that the answer was yes. Although they didn't get along well sometimes, they worked well together. They were close, they'd been through almost everything together, and their fights were more playful than anything. They would have more spice than a typical relationship, but being with Yuugi would balance that out nicely.
He cut off his thoughts with a scoff. He wasn't supposed to be thinking that way. That was ridiculous! He was snuggling his brother right now, he shouldn't be having these thoughts. It was strange.
"Yami, what's wrong?" Yuugi asked, nuzzling into his chest. "You seem sort of distracted."
"I'm fine." Yami lied immediately, giving a small chuckle. "Just deep in thought."
"Penny for your thoughts?" Yuugi asked.
"How about a kiss for my thoughts?" Yami mumbled, unaware that he had done so. Yuugi's face immediately turned red again and he hit him playfully.
"Ugh, dick!" He hissed. Yami chuckled. At least Atem wasn't around to see that; he could always tell when Yami had made a mistake.
"I'll give you a kiss on the cheek though." Yuugi said, leaning up to smooch the side of Yami's face. Yami tightened his hold around Yuugi affectionately.
"That doesn't count, but I liked it." He said. Yuugi rolled his eyes and went back to laying his head on Yami's chest.
Yes, his feelings for Yuugi were becoming quite odd.
Almost a year had passed since that day. All three of the boys had grown, (Yuugi was still pretty short, though) and it was the eve of their fifteenth birthday. They were all practically bouncing off of the walls in excitement.
"I can't wait. High school next year!" Yuugi declared. He was actually quite excited for the new academic challenges that high school would offer.
"Nerd." Yami said teasingly. Yuugi turned and glared at him, but not unfondly.
"I get to finally join the high school team." Atem commented, nodding approvingly. It was February, so these events would take place in just six month's time.
"Jock." Yami said, spitting the word from his mouth as if it were an insult. Of course, Atem knew that he was just playing around. After all, nobody would dare insult him.
"I still don't think it's fair that our high school doesn't start until tenth grade." Yuugi commented dully. Neither of the other boys were paying attention. Actually, Atem was paying attention to Yami's head, which was now placed in a firm lock at his side, while his left hand started messing up Yami's hair.
"Stop it! You'll mess up my hair!" Yami hissed, swinging his hands at air.
"Oh no, and I'm risking breaking a nail!" Atem said theatrically, pretending to faint. Seizing the opportunity, Yami wiggled out from underneath his arm and immediately jumped into the bed with Yuugi. He burrowed under the covers and peaked just his nose out.
"Yami, what are you doing? Get out, I'm trying to go to sleep." Yuugi complained.
"You can sleep with me tonight." Yami commented. Dismissing the danger with Atem, he popped out of the covers to wrap his arms eagerly around Yuugi.
"Ugh, get off." Yuugi said, blushing. Yami just snuggled further into him.
In the last few months, he'd come to terms with his feelings for both Yuugi and Atem. He knew that it was something that couldn't be avoided, and he'd gotten a little more flirtatious with Yuugi. He and Atem were already flirtatious before, so there was really no change in their relationship.
To Yami's delight, Yuugi gave up and tentatively wrapped his arms around Yami. A smile broke across his face, and was returned with a small one from Yuugi.
"Hey there aibou, you feel like giving me a big ol' kiss?" Yami asked, deciding to test his luck. "Just as a brother."
Yuugi bit his lip. Yami's eyes widened and his hope rose. "Well,-"
Yuugi was cut off as Atem lifted them both into the air. He let out a squeak as they were thrown onto Atem's bed, a pile of covers and limbs with a glaring Yami poking his head out. He had been so close!
"You guys weren't going to have fun without me, were you?" Atem asked playfully, joining them on his bed. Yuugi squirmed uncomfortably for a moment, twisting so that neither Yami or Atem were laying on him. Soon enough, he felt two sets of arms snake around him from different directions and his face was suddenly buried in Yami's chest.
"I'm never going to get to sleep like this." Yuugi commented.
"But aibou," Atem said, sounding hurt, "this is the last night it will be socially acceptable for us to sleep in the same bed."
"It stopped being socially acceptable when we were twelve."
"And who said we were going to stop after tomorrow?" Yami asked defensively. Yuugi sighed and decided that it wasn't worth the half an hour argument of why exactly he wanted to leave and why his own bed was so much better than Atem's. Besides, he had to admit that he did like it. He always felt nice and warm and safe snuggled up in their arms..,
No! He couldn't start thinking like that! He'd chased his attraction away one too many times over the years, trying desperately to keep himself from falling too hard. He knew that he liked them- yes, both of them, and it bothered him to no extent. I mean, how was he ever supposed to find love if he was caught up on these two. It made their playful flirting almost unbearable. He felt as if they were constantly leading him on.
"Fine. Just for tonight." He reluctantly agreed. It wouldn't have mattered either way though; their arms wrapped around him could not be broken.
"Goodnight, guys." Yuugi said.
"Goodnight, beautiful." Yami said, causing Yuugi to blush.
"Goodnight, sweetie." Atem said, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek.
"Goodnight Yami." He added.
"Goodnight, Love Muffin." Yami said. Atem kicked him under the sheets, glad that Yuugi was short enough for him to do so.
Yuugi slowly faded off into a sleep, and was quickly followed by Yami and Atem.
The next day, the normally empty house was filled with kids. People from all over; there were nine in all, including Yami Yuugi and Atem. Currently, they were all sitting in the triplet's room, an empty plastic pop bottle sitting in front of them. Yuugi eyes the thing nervously.
"Guys, are you sure we won't get caught?" He asked, twiddling his thumbs.
"Yuugi, we're playing spin the bottle, not doing crack. Calm yourself." Tea said, rolling her eyes. She had moved from Florida just a little while ago and quickly fell into the group. The only nuisance was her constant flirting with all of the triplets. Yami and Atem had already expressed that they didn't return her feelings, but Yuugi was much too nice. He was afraid of hurting her if he said or did anything to stop her advances.
"Okay. Well, I guess Atem goes first?" Yuugi said. Atem eagerly reached for the bottle, giving it a spin and watching as it went round and round and round. It seemed like it took forever before it agonizingly slowed its spin and came to settle. Everyone gasped when it did.
"Yuugi? You ready?" Atem asked, puckering his lips.
"You-we're-" Yuugi started, his face becoming red. "You're going to go through with this?"
"Well, I lose if I don't. So, of course. I'm not used to losing." Atem said, chuckling.
"Twincest!" Rebecca called out, laughing. Yes, the same Rebecca that had kissed Yuugi at the park that day. They had grown to be friends since she lived close to his dad's house, and she had driven three hours to come to see them all on their birthday.
"I hope you know that I hate this game right now." Yuugi grumbled.
"Suuure. You're just upset that it's not me that you're kissing." Yami said, sending a wink Yuugi's way. If Yuugi's face could have gotten any redder than it already was, it would have.
"Come on, stop delaying." Atem playfully complained. Having chosen to sit next to Yuugi, he simply reached over and pulled Yuugi into his lap, giving him a moment to get comfortable before he slung an arm lazily around Yuugi's hips.
Yuugi, surprisingly, didn't fight it at all. He simply allowed it to happen. He was so sick of holding everything back from them, and he didn't want to have to anymore. If only for a few seconds, he could pretend that Atem liked him back.
"You okay with this?" Atem mumbled in his ear. Yuugi simply shook his head yes, giving a small smile. Asking permission first was very kind of Atem. It just made him love him even more.
"Okay then." He mumbled, tilting Yuugi's head towards his. He came closer and closer as slowly as he could manage, giving Yuugi time to change his mind.
Yuugi didn't.
Their lips met, soft skin colliding. Yuugi felt a warmth spreading down his spine and he leaned more into the kiss, tilting his head just a bit to get a better angle.
As they slowly pulled away, a whistle could be heard. It was from Joey.
"Why aren't you ever like that with me?" Yami pouted. Yuugi gave a small smile and reached his arms out to Yami.
Yami's jaw hit the floor. "Seriously?"
Yuugi shook his head yes. Why not? His head was still dizzy from kissing Atem, why not add onto that? Yami was always so persistent about it, why not give into his desires just once?
Yami quickly swooped Yuugi from Atem's lap, pulling him onto his own.
"Okay then." Yami said, shrugging. Contrary to Atem, he gave Yuugi no time to change his mind. He connected their lips and firecrackers went off in Yuugi's mind. Every pore came alive, and he leaned forward more. His arms came up to wrap around Yami's neck. As Yami pulled away, Yuugi was silently comparing the kisses, despite the fog clouding his mind.
Atem's was soft and warm. Yami's sent electricity down his spine. Yami's kiss made him crave another. Atem's kiss made him never want to pull away. They were both beautiful and made his lips tingle, his mind cloud over. He couldn't decide which one he liked better.
They were both amazing in their own ways.
Later that night, Yami sat down in their bathroom, his head in his hands. He felt a tear slowly slip down his face, and he gritted his teeth. Reality could hit you hard sometimes, and it had just smacked him clear across the room.
Yami shook his head in disappointment. He loved Yuugi, and he'd gotten a little taste of what it would really be like if he were truly with him today. Him and Atem; he'd be okay with sharing. He'd loved it.
Then reality snuck up on him. It smacked him hard in the face that that would never happen. Yuugi would never want to be with him, and Atem either. They would probably be disgusted that he'd ever think something like that.
"May I come in?" Atem asked, standing in the doorway. Yami's head snapped up, and there was a thick silence between them. Atem stepped into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. He knew that something was bothering Yami, and he wasn't going to leave until he had gotten too the bottom of it.
"What's wrong?" He asked, walking over to the edge of the bathtub and sitting down. Yami turned his head slightly, putting it back in his hands. Atem tenderly reached up to grasp both of Yami's hands in his own and pulled them down so he could look at Yami's face.
"Hey." He said gently. Yami's own eyes flickered up into Atem's and he gave a small sigh. With Atem's eyes looking into his, all he could concentrate on was how much he not only wanted to be truthful, but he wanted to be accepted. Atem offered a kind of motherly protection that he could relate to. He knew that at the very least, he wouldn't be rejected by Atem.
"Do you think it's alright to to love someone of the same sex?" Yami whispered. Atem took the question in stride.
"Of course. Love is love."
"What if it's two people that you like? Like..." Yami bit his lip. "You want to be with both of them... And have both of them together?" Yami proposed. Atem tilted his head to the left, smiling.
"As long as it's not lust induced, and you really like the other two for their personalities, I don't see anything wrong with it." Atem said, giving a shrug.
"What if they're your brothers?" Yami said. He dropped eye contact at this time, not ready to see the absolute rejection in Atem's eyes. There was a pause in the bathroom, before Atem's calculated voice broke into it.
"Well, I'd have to alert you that one of them feels the same way." Atem said, sounding slightly grave. Yami's head whipped up, scanning his eyes for any sign that this was a joke. There was not.
"You-you-" Yami stuttered out, eyes widening.
"I'm afraid I do." Atem said, smiling. Yami felt a smile stretch across his face. He had been so sure that Atem was going to reject him.
Instead, Atem leaned forward. Yami's hands came up to wrap around his neck on instinct, and their lips collided. Atem tasted like candy and maple syrup, while Yami tasted like danger itself, and a little like salt water from his freshly shed tears. It didnt matter; the way their lips for together like they were made for it was more than enough.
"We have to tell Yuugi." Atem panted as they broke away, his forehead coming to rest on Yami's. Yami flinched.
"But-"
"Don't you even. We can't keep this from him. Even if he's not interested now, we've still got each other." Atem argued. Yami couldn't respond, he just looked down.
"I-I love him. As much as I love you." Yami said. Atem softened.
"I know how you feel. No matter what, you won't lose him. Yuugi wouldn't hold that against either of us. You know this." Atem said firmly. Yami gave a deep sigh and looked down at his feet.
Yuugi's eyes widened as he pressed his ear up against the door. He'd heard-he'd heard it all. He looked down in shock as he heard the sounds of sloppy kissing coming from the other side of the door. He was half tempted to bust in there himself and join right then. He restrained himself, though. He had a better idea.
Every year, on their birthday, ever since they'd turned ten, they always climbed onto the roof at night to stargaze with each other. He'd wait until they were up there to tell them.
Yuugi blushed in embarrassment; he was such a romantic sometimes. He couldn't help it, though. He'd been exposed to one too many paranormal romance novels over his life.
He moved away, sitting down on his bed and picking up his rubix cube and acting like he was fiddling with it. He'd already solved it several times, but it at least made it look like he had been occupied.
Yami and Atem walked out of the bathroom, both of their hair slightly out of place.
"Your hair is messed up." Yuugi commented in his most innocent voice, widening his eyes and looking up at them. Yami's face reddened a bit, as well as Atem's. they both reached up at the same time to straighten up their hair, and Yuugi smirked internally. Hey, Yami and Atem weren't the only ones that could have fun.
"Are we going outside now?" He asked after a moment of silence, slightly impatient.
"Sure. Of course." Atem said, clearing his throat quietly. He walked over to the window and opened it up, allowing a gust of cold wind to caress their faces. Yuugi smiled a bit; the cold didn't seem to bother him right now.
Atem quickly popped the screen of the window out, so that they could maneuver their way out of it and climb up the wooden tress that supported their mother's white roses. He carefully stepped outside first, looking around to ensure that nobody was going to yell at them that it was past curfew, before he waved for Yami and Yuugi to follow him out. They did so.
Atem climbed up it first, laying himself down on the roof and waiting. Yami's head poked up after his, and he scrambled up onto the roof. He was followed by Yuugi, who was a little more cautious when it came to climbing up to them. He took his time on the roof, legs wobbling uncertainly under him.
"I'm cold." He immediately complained, plopping himself down inbetween the two. Just as he had predicted, two warm pairs of arms wrapped around his torso and pulled him close, to where he was sardined between them. Yuugi could get used to this.
They just gazed for a second, looking up at the stars and nodding their heads slightly, enjoying each other's company. The silence was thick,warm and comfortable. It would almost remind someone of a warm blanket or a cup of cocoa in the winter. They didn't have to try to make conversation; being together just came... Naturally.
"You know, if you point out any three stars, they make a triangle." Yami said, slightly sarcastic. Yuugi rolled his eyes a little.
"Captain Obvious strikes again." Atem said. The light and playful mood in the air just seemed much too perfect to let pass, so Yuugi decided that then was the perfect time. There would never be a more perfect opportunity.
"Does this count as a Love Triangle?" He asked curiously. He felt Yami and Atem both freeze beside him, and he knew that they were staring at him with wide eyes. "I mean, since there are three of us and all."
"Yuugi, what do you mean?" Yami asked slowly, trying not to get his hopes up.
Yuugi looked over at Yami's hopeful face, and a small smile broke across his own. Yami looked so cute like that...
He leaned down slowly, savoring the heat that came with being so close to Yami. Their lips touched lightly at first, just the softest brush like two flower petals colliding in the wind. Then, it turned more serious and solid, like it was an idea that finally formed. Their lips fit together like a lock and a key, like two pieces of a puzzle, like... Just like his and Atem's did.
Yuugi pulled their lips away a little, panting a bit.
"I overheard your conversation in the bathroom. I-I feel the same way."
"You do?" Yami asked. Yuugi pulled away farther, wanting to see his reaction. Yami sat up too, a big and dopey smile plastered across his face. Yuugi felt Atem pull him into his lap, and suddenly, his eyes were locked with the other's.
"Are you sure? There won't be any going back." Atem said, his smooth voice making Yuugi practically melt.
"I'm sure. I love you." He said. After a pause, he turned towards Yami. "Both of you."
"We love you too." Came the earnest reply from both of them, at the same time. Yuugi smiled a bit.
Atem's warm hand on his cheek brought his face towards his own. Yuugi was a bit startled by how fast this was happening; everything he wanted, all in one night. Atem's lips met him, and Yuugi practically purred like a kitten. There was so much emotion in his kiss; it almost felt like Atem saved up the emotion he'd been holding back for times like these. Their lips parted all too soon, but Yuugi knew that it couldn't go on forever. They were on a roof, and some of their neighbors were nosy.
When the kiss ended, he was scooted off Atem's lap and onto the roof, where both he and Yami could at least wrap their arms around Yuugi.
A small smile graced his face.
"I don't think we're a love triangle. We'll last much longer than one of those cliché romance relationships." He whispered, reaching down to intertwine his fingers in Yami and Atem's. Atem's rough callouses and Yami's soft skin both made him feel like he was at home; and he'd never have to leave.
"I think so too, aibou." Atem said, looking over at Yami to find he was nodding softly in agreement, "I think so too."