Chapter 1

Atemu scowled at the settling snow and one could have sworn he looked like a fat vampire by his opened mouth and bared teeth wrapped in his many layers of warm clothes. He tightened the speckled scarf around his naturally tanned neck and marched a few metres over to his locker as he made sure the snowy nightmare was not in plain sight. His friend Bakura was leaning against the wall in close range laughing softly at Atemu's pathetic whimpers.

Atemu frowned at his friend's indecency to understand his own physical needs and one of them was that he was always within walking distance of a source of warmth. As he threw his bag into his locker he gave Bakura a sideways glare before he decided to pitch up a conversation about the weather. "Remind me. Why did I agree to go to school in Japan where it is bloody freezing for ten months of the year?"

Bakura shrugged, his head averted downwards to his phone screen as he played away at a cheap knock off version of Zelda. He lifted his face a moment later and seeing Atemu closing his locker he beckoned him over with an open hand. He hunched up at Atemu approached him and held a hand to the side of his mouth.

He replied with a soft whisper. "As an answer to your question I think that it is because there are no gay people in Egypt."

Atemu rolled his eyes as he pulled back from his crazy friend and a small smile evident on his face. "You are a fucking idiot, Bakura."

Bakura threw his hands up in the air and he shared Atemu's soft chuckle as he began to grin uncontrollably. "You love me!"

Atemu shook his head. "Don't let my father catch you saying those things when we go and visit."

"You are no fun sometimes."

Bakura pouted as he began to gouge into its surface of a locker with the point of a pen. Atemu rolled up his sleeve to check the time before going over to lean against the wall next to Bakura. They waited in companionable silence for the bell to go. Five minutes later a teen with long silvery hair materialized before them

He spoke with a voice made of silk. "Well, what brings you into my parlour?"

"Said the spider to the fly," Atemu continued as he lifted his gaze from his phone.

"Look what we have here, a king that is without his faithful knights to protect him," Bakura smirked as he dropped his pen inside his trouser pocket and pushed back from the wall. He was considerably taller than the teen in front of them although this did not seem to faze him at all.

Atemu knew that they would not be visited for a simple meet and greet party and frankly he was not in the mood for such trivial things. He was curious to see why he was before them. "I can assume that you are here for a good reason Pegasus?"

"Yami-Boy!" Pegasus exclaimed as his immaculate smile grew larger. "It would seem I could do with a little helping hand. How are my little friends doing?"

Atemu's jaw tightened as he was forced to look at the teen's delightfully sick clown-grin as he held his gaze upon Pegasus. Bakura was wondering around from side to side as he locked onto Pegasus and activated his hands through a flexing movement. If tempted he would have been off on a rampage.

"We have been good associates for a long time," Pegasus said. "You are my most trusted and valued friend. This is why I have ask you of all people to do something for me."

Atemu sighed. "Why don't you just cut the act and tell me what you really want us to know."

Pegasus' eyes began to wonder round the place. "I plan to enter a Duel Monsters tournament in a few months' time. I have a problem."

"And that is?"

"I have heard that someone is planning to ruin me and I cannot have that happen."

"What is the big deal?"

"The best way to tell you would be to begin with a short story which goes that when I was in middle school I had been a chess master and in my first national tournament at the age of twelve years old. I was put up against a shorter teen around my same age and we were in the final together. I had heard he was better than me and, well you see, he was a new comer and I had been national caption for almost three years. Within thirty turns he had my king cornered with his queen and castle. To avoid a humiliating defeat I placed by King sideways down on the board and forfeited my title. I lost my winning streak as king of games and I have never picked up a chess piece since then. It seems that this same teen thinks he can beat me again with Duel Monsters and I will not have it again. My reputation is at stake once more."

"Who is this person?" Atemu asked.

"He is Yugi Moto. I have been told he is in a couple of your classes which is why I thought you would be a good contact to have when dealing with him."

"If he stop him playing card games what will we get in return?" Atemu asked as he coolly played with his bag strap and maintained his eye contact with Pegasus.

Pegasus' sent him an all-knowing smile. "Let's just say that if you say no the whole school will know by Monday that two of its most prized students are in fact gay."

Atemu shook his head with a smirk. "You will have to do better than that."

"I suppose so," Pegasus mused as he rubbed his chin and placed a hand on his hip. His eyes darted off to the side for a moment and then back to Atemu as he dropped his thinking posture and sent the two teens a cunning grin. "How about this. I don't know what the leading force campaigning against the sexual rights move will say either when he discovers his treasured son is sweet for boys."

Pegasus had him.

Atemu dropped his smirk and turned to see what Bakura was thinking. They exchanged a silent conversation through brief facial expression before Atemu shot Pegasus a narrowed glare. Pegasus laughed triamphatly and began to walk away, knowing he had won their support. His whistling in celebration rattled Atemu's insides as he watched him go.

"Bastard," He muttered.

X

"How about this Yugi," Jonouchi leaned his shoulder against a locker as he spoke. "Kaiba even said he would fun our training for the tournament and we could enter together. It would be fun!"

Yugi spoke into the mouth of his locker as he listened to his friend next door. "That's great Jou, but I'm not sure I want to enter."

Yugi spent extra time inside as he dragged a finger down the spine of a book as he squinted his eyes to he read the title. He let himself pause for the moment to breath in the comforting smell of books and he could feel his insides relaxing.

He stopped abruptly.

He felt the bag that had been resting on the toes of his feet slip away and he pulled his head quickly out of his locker to investigate. Next minute, he found his head being slammed against the door.

Yugi shifted quickly and managed to free his head from the locker in time for it to close with a loud bang. He fell backwards at the sight of a tall monstrous teen. In a dazed state Yugi propped himself up with his hands and as he lifted his head he was confronted by a toxic stench which hit his tender complexion.

Jou launched himself as the teen using his skills from being part of the rugby team to tackle him effortlessly to the floor. The teen was shaking wildly to rid his back of the weight holding him down, growling like a wolf that had just been let loose.

Before Yugi had time react to anything he felt a strong pair of hands grab him from behind and throw him forcefully to the floor. Students had stopped to watch the uproar, phones pulled out and cheering. There was manic laughter and the chanting like they were spectators at a gladiatorial arena, watching a bloody fight between animals and men.

"W-w-w-w-h-h-at do you want?" Yugi asked through laboured breaths.

His neck stung from where the locker had hit him, and he clutched eyes tightly shut to help supress the pain. It always hurt no matter how many times he took a punch or kick. His back ached from being thrown to the floor and his mind was racing as he searched for any valid reason these boys would be targeting him. It was unlikely however that he would ever find one. Boys ticked their targets based purely on known ability and appearance, and everyone knew Yugi was weak. He had not upper body strength and his legs were so tiny that even a forceful kick would just feel like a poke. These bullies were likely trying to prove how strong they were. They would be desperately looking to fit in to the schools social scene which was measured on who far you would go to please King Pegasus.

Yugi felt the force of a body on top of him, pushing the last bit of air out of his lungs as he was straddled around the waist as a chest was pressed firmly into his back. He gagged as he felt a rough hand grab his throat and twist his head awkwardly around. A sudden breath trickled down his neck which caused Yugi to shiver as a mouth came to hover over his exposed ear.

A deep voice spoke. "I am sorry."

The pressure on his whole body softened and the grip around his chin relaxed. A warm breath returned.

"Pegasus sends his greetings," the teen said. "He wants you to stop you card games or he is going to send more where this came from."

The teen stood up, the coldness of the floor being more evident with the loss of the warmth. Yugi opened his eyes for a few seconds after he became aware no one had hit him. He saw his attacker, a boy he recognized from a few of his classes, a look-a-like teen with tri-coloured hair the size of a mountain. Why was Atemu doing this to him?

His mouth slacked open as he tried to ask for clarification, but Atemu grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and yanked him to his feet. His held Yugi for a few seconds, his eyes narrowed as they took in Yugi's appearance. He looked like he was about to throw him back on the floor when his grip around Yugi's clothing began to go slack, his eyes becoming softer. Atemu lips began to part and his brow becoming tense as he began to mouth something.

Atemu was suddenly grabbed by a senior student, a prefect by the badge he wore. The sounds of students had roused a selection of teachers from their office and a red-faced teacher In particular has seen the ruckus and had already seized Bakura before he could deliver another punch to Jonouchi.

The teacher snapped as she blew on her whistle. "Detention for all four of you!"

X

Atemu lifted his head up from the desk hoping to catch the attention of Bakura as the teacher left the room, he whistled. The teen had managed to smuggle his iPod into detention so he was deaf to the entire class in that moment. Sighing, Atemu dropped his head back hopelessly into arms. It had only been five minutes since detention had started. He wished he would be doing homework rather than this right now.

Fuck Pegasus and his way with words.

He could not believe that Pegasus had the upper hand with this one. He had no idea where the slimy teen might have got his information and he really did not care as long as his secret did not spread any further.

Most of all he did not want his father to find out or his life would pretty much be in shatters.

Silence came from the first-timers at the front of the room, the only sound was that of their pencils vigorously being applied to paper. Atemu was glad he did not have to see Yugi's face to be reminded he wasted his afternoon for Pegasus' bidding. However, he had to smile at the fact the teachers had put them all in detention and not bothered to ask who had actually started the fight. If he was honest he did not like the parts where he had to physically hurt someone, but he had decided that just came with his job. Everyone had a part to play in Pegasus' game of thrones, and he had to do what was necessary to stay on top.

Bakura leaned back against his chair, holding a lighter to the end of a piece of paper, flicking the flame on and off as it kissed the paper edges. He did not seem bothered at all by the fact they were in detention, despite the fact it was becoming a weekly event.

"Why are you here?"

Atemu looked up, noticing a girl in some of his classes, Miho, was seated a few desks away. She was faced in his direction with a flirtatious flare, buttons undone to show a large part of her left breast. She pressed herself against the top of the desk making her boobs bulge even more as she looked him over.

"Me?" he asked, not surprised a girl like Miho was making an attempt at him. "Fuck off and mind your own business."

Laughing, Miho fluttered her eyelashes innocently, unaware that she sounded like a malfunctioning music player, a repeating sound stuck on one cord.

Atemu gritted his teeth, wishing people were not so curious about his personal life. He gave her a cold glare before he rekindled his interest in the clock. He leaned back in his chair, pushed his legs out, and then grabbed hold of his paper. Frustrated, he scrunched it up and threw it at a random person at the front of the room.

It was just his luck that it touched the one person he never wanted to see again. It hit the short boy in the back of the head, making a light sound as it slipped to the floor. The boy peered around curiously, as soon as the pair of eyes caught Atemu's intense stare, he retreated back to the front. Atemu smirked at Yugi. Maybe he could have some fun after all?

Atemu knew how to act when he wanted something and right in that moment he was bored out of his brains. Watching how the boy reacted showed him that he could have some fun. Before now he had not had much to do with Yugi, he was too much of a goody-good to draw his interest. Eying him now Atemu realised that he looked much younger than a high schooler, he was almost cute in a way… Atemu quickly dropped his line of thought.

The sandy-haired student spun around to look over his shoulder. His eyes locked on to Atemu as if they were equipped with ready-loaded rifles. Atemu recognized him as Jonouchi, a boy in his year who had always annoyed him.

"What do you want, punk?"

Atemu raised an eyebrow at the boy's outburst. "Did you really just call me that?"

"So what if I did," Jonouchi asked. "The way your cousin talks about you to me sure does scream 'punk' on the label."

"Tell me, what does he call you?"

"That's none of your business!"

"Puppy, am I right?"

"Shut up you bastard!"

Atemu did not make any effort to acknowledge that the boy had spoken, and pulled his hand up from the desk to look at his nails. Jonouchi got up from his desk, clutching his fists tightly and baring his teeth through an open grimace. Yugi shot a hand out to grab his friend's arm, looking at him with big eyes.

"Don't worry about him, Jou, he isn't worth it."

"I am sick of people thinking they can do whatever they want to you, Yug'."

Jonouchi paused on his advancement, turning halfway on the balls of his feet in the direction of his friend. He pouted slightly as he connected with Yugi's pleading eyes. The little boy considered his friend's situation for a moment before he slowly loosened his grip on his friend's arm and allowed Jonouchi to turn his attention back to Atemu.

"You think you are so cool!" Jonouchi spat, banging his hands down on Atemu's desk to get his full attention. "I don't care that you're Kaiba's cousin, the rule still applies. Why don't you stand up for yourself, instead of picking on people who are not as strong as you just to make yourself feel better?"

Atemu held his hands up. "I'm sorry if I offended you or something… I didn't do anything at all except-"

"You were picking on my friend, that's what!"

"By throwing a piece of paper?" Atemu asked, raising an eyebrow. "I wasn't even aiming at anyone in particular, it is nothing personal."

Bakura had snuck over to claim the top of the desk next to his friend. His mouth was stretched widely from ear to ear. Jonouchi was not fazed at all by the wild gaze he was held in, and he maintained his eye contact with Atemu.

Jonouchi threw his hands up in the air, before sending a forceful point with his right hand at Atemu. "If you touch him again, I will make sure you can never stand again."

"Why don't you prove it, then?" Bakura challenged, folding his arms and leaning back carelessly. "You are a wimp who can't even fight his way out of a blanket!"

Jonouchi redirected his pointed finger at Bakura. "You take that back!"

"No."

The boy lunged at Bakura, but wasn't quick enough to catch him, as he slipped off the desk in time to send Jonouchi landing headfirst on the floor. Bakura sniggered down at the Jonouchi's tied-up form.

Bakura dropped beside the fallen boy, pulling out his lighter, and holding it to his sandy hair. Atemu sighed, getting to his feet, and gave his friend a look of disapproval. He didn't want the both of them to get in any more trouble than they were in already.

"Why don't we test what will happen to his monkey's hair when we light it on fire, hmm?" Bakura sung lightly as Atemu approached him, his finger close to the trigger.

"Please, let him go," Yugi said, his quivering voice catching Atemu's attention. "You said you did not want to hurt us."

The boy was shivering, his face completely pale and his eyes wide at the scene before him. Tears were beginning to surface at the edges of his eyes. It was at that moment that Atemu wondered why he had never noticed how beautiful this boy's eyes… He mentally hit himself for thinking such thoughts, yet again.

"You seem different from the rest of them," Yugi said.

His eyes looked in horror at the scene before back at Atemu. "If are truly sorry about before. Why can you not make him stop?"

Bakura chuckled. "How pathetic."

He dropped his hand down and put his mouth close to Jonouchi's ear. "I think your little friend here is trying to save you."

Atemu snatched the lighter out of his friend's hand and chucked it on the desk top beside him. Bakura eyed his friend suspiciously.

"Bakura, I can handle these idiots on my own," Atemu said.

Reluctantly, Bakura pushed back from Jonouchi and collapsed into a nearby seat. Jonouchi mumbled something as he pulled his dishevelled form from the floor, brushing the dirt off from his clothes. He didn't look up at Atemu or Bakura as he limped back to his table.

Yugi was looking at Atemu with wide eyes and a slightly open mouth. It was then he notice the warm colour of his purple eyes which shone with renewed hope for the teen in front of him. Yugi hurried to check on his friend's condition.

Atemu looked away.

He had never said no to Bakura before.

About ten minutes later, the silence was punctured by the screeching of a desk being dragged up against Atemu's desk, and moments later Bakura dropped himself down beside his friend. His eyes were burning into Atemu's skin as he held them there for a long time, expectantly awaiting his friend's attention.

Atemu closed his eyes for a second to calm himself down before he tilted his face towards Bakura. "What?"

"You are staring at that little freak and his friend."

"No."

"Then explain why you said no to me."

"Bakura can you give it a rest for fuck sake, he is the boyfriend of my cousin. We are in detention, and I just want to be able-"

"I was just trying to protect you!"

"And for that I thank you, but for once can you just let me fight my own fights?"

"For as long as we have been friends, it has been my job to protect you. Do you not remember that? The job your father gave me to look after his heir."

Bakura slammed a hand down against his desk when his friend did not reply. He stood up and took to the front of the class, pulling a box of cigarettes from his trouser pocket. He pushed a cigarette between his lips and used his free hand to light the end of it.

"Are you coming?"

Atemu gave him a blank look. "Detention."

Bakura rolled his eyes. "When has that ever stopped us before?"

Atemu ignored his friend, struggling with several questions himself, concerning his own problems. Bakura chucked his box and lighter back into his pockets and vacated the room. Atemu figured his friend wouldn't be coming back for the rest of detention.

X

Sometime later the sounds of Jonouchi taking a set opposite Atemu roused him from his day dreaming.

"What the fuck do you want?"

Jonouchi regarded him. "Why don't we begin first with my own questions?"

"Fine," Atemu said, locking eyes with Jonouchi.

"Firstly," Jonouchi paused; his eyes darted off to the vacant desk Bakura had once occupied. "Why do you hang out with people like him?"

Atemu shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"Kaiba had some warped opinion that you are actually a decent person."

"That would be one thing I can agree about Kaiba. He has strange opinions."

"Now, Bakura," Jonouchi prompted.

"That's none of your business," Atemu retorted.

"Then tell me, why do you hide behind people like him?"

"I am not hiding. I am just not a like any sort of fight in general. What I should be asking instead is why you take things so personally that they end up turning into physical brawls."

"You may not be hiding, but you sure are pretending that something does not exist. Kaiba has this theory that you live in this sort of ideal fantasy world where your father's money and Pegasus' power will make you a happy trooper forever. I just want you to know that this is the real world."

Atemu didn't reply and he pulled his attention away to stare at the spots on his desk.

"You will have to face the facts soon," Jonouchi said, taking the boy's silence as evidence to his speculations. "But right now it seems you are a little bit too insecure to see it for yourself."

"I am not insecure, you do not know me!"

Jonouchi shook his head, looking like he was about to laugh. "Then if your world is so righteous then tell me why do you have to beat of people littler than you to satisfy a fat man who sits on his arse all day?"

Atemu gritted his teeth. If only the boy knew the real truth then he would not be going round accusing him of things he did not understand. If only he knew that Pegasus had been blackmailing him into a seat of power to do as he pleased. If only his father was not an arsehole.

"Why do you have to go out of your way to protect mister baby-face here?" Atemu suggested bitterly, realizing after that that was something Bakura might have said.

"He is my bud," Jonouchi replied bluntly.

Atemu's half-opened mouth closed shut slowly. Jonouchi have him a victorious smile before rising from his seat and returning to the front.

X

Detention had just finished and Atemu was looking through his bag for his Walkman when there was a light rustling sound which echoed through the wood of Atemu's desk. Sleepily, he lifted his head and became aware of a crumpled bit of paper perched on the end on his desk. He frowned for a moment as he tried to work out how it had got there, then reached out to look at over.

As his eyes readjusted to the light, from the darkness of his bag, he became aware of an overhanging shadow, which blocked his view of the board. He pushed his eyes up a bit more and they connected with the same warm purple he had seen earlier.

He sat back against his chair, running a hand loosely through his hair, not taking his eyes of the figure standing before him.

"I thought you might want this back," The soft voice said, indicating to the paper in Atemu's left hand.

Atemu suddenly felt slightly guilty that he had hit Yugi's head with it. At the same time, he was meant to hate the kid, so he did not make that apparent on his face as he continued to stare sheepishly at the boy.

"I wanted to thank you..." he began, and although he didn't smile, it seemed he wasn't as angry as he had feared, "… For holding off your friend. Even though I'm still annoyed at him for attacking Jonouchi like that."

His eyes darted down to look at the paper on the desk, and he added, "My name is Yugi by the way, if you had wanted to ask."

Wait, what? Atemu went slightly red, and he raised an eyebrow at the boy who had just stated a well-known fact. He opened his mouth to retort, but Yugi shook his head. What exactly did this boy want from him?

"I already know who you are, everybody does… And that Kaiba is your cousin. But don't worry, you don't need to say anything. I just wanted you to know that there is no harm done. You know my name now, and all is forgiven."

Yugi shyly looked back up at Atemu and gave him a small smile. "I will let you get back to whatever you are doing now, but I want you to know that Jou and I are not blaming you for Bakura. However it might take Jou a lot longer to get over the events earlier in the hall. I know for one that the paper was not meant to hit anyone in particular and sometimes people do stupid things... If you get sick of the 'popular life', as Jou sometimes puts it, Kaiba would be more than happy to share his friends…" He took a step back and his eyes seemed to dart upwards before back to his eyes. "Nice hair by the way!"

Atemu caught his attention in time before he slipped away. "Wait."

Yugi turned back, eyes as wide as any could possibly be.

His voice caught in his throat as he spoke and as he looked down as his bag. "I want you to know that I feel really bad about the whole Bakura thing; however, I feel even guiltier about this detention I have landed you in. Pegasus he-"

"Hey," Yugi said softly cutting into Atemu explanation. "I did said I forgive you, right?"

Atemu's face lifted, his face studying the boy's face which wore a look of gratitude.

"Let's leave this class today and from there we will never talk of this again."

Atemu found himself nodding in agreement just to see the spark of delight flicker in Yugi's eyes.

Yugi turned away. Having returned his papers to the teacher at the front, he left the classroom to the calls of his waiting friends, who had just poked their heads in to see what had kept him. One thing was for certain after that conversation. Yugi didn't seem to know about a thing called social boundaries.

X