The morning had come early and had seen Yugi wake, dress, clean up and get Atem up, through all these steps and out the door to his work (researching or whatever he does, Yugi thought). Waking one's flat-mate is nowhere near as difficult, Yugi had discovered, as forcing him not only to brush his teeth but also to wear matching clothes (a chore Yugi took upon himself when Atem's sense of style failed him in seldom seen, somnolent moments). Sometimes Yugi felt more like a nanny than a neighbor and sighed while he went about the apartment, cleaning and tidying, trying to assuage the devastated living room from the previous evening's late night gaming session.
While he was disposing of an armful of candy wrappers, Yugi heard a small tinkling noise and, curious, followed it to its source in Atem's bedroom. Not knowing what to expect, Yugi found the sound emanating from the unkempt covers on his room-mate's mattress. Rooting around, he discovered the noisemaker just as it went to voicemail. Atem had left his cell phone.
Taking the sleek black device into his hand, Yugi fidgeted, wondering whether he should try calling Atem at work, drop it off, or replace it in the bed and pretend he hadn't noticed it. It wasn't as though Atem had been gone long, hardly twenty minutes, but given the way traffic was…Yugi hated to think of bringing him back for something so small. Also, what would Atem think of Yugi calling him at work, letting him know he was currently holding a beacon of all his contacts, a gateway into his personal life throbbing in Yugi's moistening palm? Yugi shook his head, clearing his brain of his noticeably awkward thoughts; then was interrupted as a beeping noise signaled a message.
Yugi glanced at the screen. One new message. He stared at the notification. One. New. Message. Yugi couldn't stop himself from looking around nervously, even going over to check just outside the entry to the bedroom, wondering if this all was a trap, if somehow he would check the message only to have it snatched out of his grasp by a concealed and waiting Atem, who had seen fit to test his potential love interest (here Yugi indulged himself) with concepts of trust, privacy and personal property. Making sure to walk through the apartment (twice), just to make sure no one but him was really there, Yugi gave it some thought.
Ordinarily…he never would have opened someone else's message without their permission. It just wasn't right. It went against everything he stood for. …However…Yugi lusted over the thought of getting to know Atem better, peering into his mysterious life, having an upper hand just once over the man who was constantly pushing his buttons with no hesitation and no problem; just to have something, some embarrassing tidbit to tease him with, to make him blush, to make those sultry, dark and chocolate coated gazes rear back, caught, defeated, beautifully embarrassed with a flick of Yugi's tongue. It was precious. It was to die for. And Yugi wanted it so bad.
On the other hand, Yugi thought, this could be a really important message. It might be (though Yugi prayed it wasn't) some message that Atem's mother had been hospitalized or perhaps that he had won the lottery or even that he was being warned to get out of the country because his location had been compromi-okay, that's enough, no more candy fests before bed for you Yugi Mutou, he thought, trying to steer his overactive imagination back on topic.
The argument still stood. It might well be an imperative notice and Atem had every right to know about it…
Yugi pressed the button quickly, attempting to unlock the stolid device. No luck. He frowned. He guessed that was it. Technology had a way of ending arguments. He was putting the phone down when it began ringing again and Yugi nearly had a heart attack, just keeping himself from hurling the phone across the room. He stared at it, amazed at his luck and waiting, not recognizing the number, but waiting. The moment the phone went to voicemail, he leapt at his chance and kept the phone awake.
"So far so good…"
He dialed voicemail and waited, was prompted for a password, and promptly had his mind go blank. Panicking, Yugi punched in the four digit apartment number they lived in and waited. Miraculously (and also quite unsafely), the code proved correct and Yugi eased himself down onto Atem's bed, breathing heavily.
"You have," the automated voice said, "one new message. First voice message:…"
Yugi didn't recognize the voice at first until, after a moment, he placed the cold, prudent candor as Atem's friend…what was his name? Kaiba?
"It's me. Pick up your phone if I call you. You know I know you hate being left leaving messages. The party, as I said, is tomorrow at six and I expect you to be there. That's why we're having it. Call me back any time before four. I'm not calling again so don't miss it."
"End of new messages," the automated voice said, effectively ending the stream of information Yugi had to work with. He pressed a button and listened to Kaiba's message again, making sure he got everything and went into the kitchen to write the details down, fully sure he would deliver the message to Atem right then…when a sly thought crept into his mind, no doubt influenced by the sly devil of a tone Seto Kaiba had a way of inserting into his speech every time he uttered a sentence.
"party…tomorrow at six…that's why we're having it…Could it be," Yugi wondered, "Could it be…Atem's birthday?"
Atem's birthday was one of a number of details Yugi had really wanted to know but felt too shy to ask. After all, what sort of conclusions would one draw from someone asking your birthday? The answer is probably nothing like what Yugi pictured but nonetheless, he was too cautious for that (now if only he could control his big mouth as effectively). But now, Yugi felt he had it. Atem's birthday would be, most likely, tomorrow…and more than that, Yugi wouldn't even have known about it!
Imagine spending the day oblivious that his flat-mate's birthday was that very day and not so much as wishing a single good will towards the older, definitely good-will inducing man. Yugi humphed. Imagine that. He always made sure to remember his friends' birthdays and to send them congrats. No one escaped the Yugi Mutou Birthday Monitor (a nickname he had given himself which Tea, on certain occasions mentioned as being kind of creepy).
What bothered Yugi more than being left out of the loop was in the connotations of being left out of the loop. Atem would be spending an evening, no doubt without him, among his colleagues and presumably friends, celebrating his birthday…without him. Naturally, Atem could do as he pleased and could celebrate his birthday however he wished and it wasn't as though he and Atem were especially tied romantically so there was no reason to assume that he had any right to assume Atem would—
Ah, screw it. No, Atem ought to be spending it with me, Yugi thought. It might have been selfish or odd, but Yugi knew that this would a moment they could share in a definite, defining context and one that would far more easily allow them to assess their…situation.
"It's his birthday…and I want him here with me…alone." Yugi shivered. His big innocent violet eyes hid many inappropriate thoughts, buttressed by the many near-misses he'd had entering the bathroom while Atem was either showering or leaving said shower. Yugi swore he didn't do it on purpose but Atem only left him with a slow smile and a methodical swish to his body that couldn't have been natural.
Returning the phone to the bedroom before coming back to the kitchen, Yugi's mind began working rapidly. "There is no better way to celebrate a birthday," he reasoned, "than by having cake, preferably home-made cake." And as it happened, Yugi, the accomplished baker, had a new devil's food chocolate layer cake recipe in mind he'd been wanting to try anyway. "A devil for a devil," he wanted to say, ignoring how corny he sounded in his head. Tea also might have noted Yugi's tiny giggles at that moment as being creepy.
Yugi took down the bowls and began setting out ingredients, imagining how the cake would turn out, how it would look and how it would break, crumb by crumb into Atem's mouth, leaving scattered flecks of sponge-soft chocolate dotting the birthday boy's face – the lips smeared, the tongue nonchalantly swiping at the remnants of the rich, thick taste and the eyes, staring almost satisfied into Yugi's, wishing to devour more than one sugary confection…
Atem returned home to the apartment later that afternoon. He had realized he'd forgotten his phone only just after he'd reached the office, meaning to call Kaiba back and give him a definite answer on that whole party idea. It just didn't sit right with Atem and he didn't feel any real reason to attend. After all, why should he? He didn't really bother with celebrating things like that anyway even if his taste for good wine and food persuaded him otherwise.
He had barely spared a thought for the phone though, thinking that nothing important would really be delivered. He had wondered if Yugi might have noticed it but dismissed the thought, knowing the boy was reticent enough to mind his own business. Though of course, the real secrets stayed with the man rather than in a device, as everyone knows.
Upon opening the front door, his senses were assaulted by the heaviest waft of odorous pleasure he had yet had in his apartment, stopping dead to enjoy the moment before he got used to the heavenly swell of baking. He stepped in, shutting the door with a soft click, locking it behind him, as if to hoard the smell to himself, and set his bag down on the sofa. He had barely moved three feet towards the kitchen when Yugi's head popped out of the door, shocked and frantic.
"Oh hey, um, yeah, how was your day?"
Atem smiled, wondering what was up. Yugi was more nervous than usual.
"It was fine," he said, "plenty to do and plenty done." He peered into the kitchen. "What are you making?"
"O-oh, uh, just a…just a cake for um…uh, a birthday party."
"A birthday party?" Atem said, his lips round with curiosity and the sexual omnipresence he gave off at all times.
"Crap," Yugi thought.
"Yeah, um, it's…uh…Serenity's birthday tomorrow, yeah, Joey's sister, you remember Joey right? Yeah, it's her birthday tomorrow and uh…Joey asked me to make a cake since…well…uh, you know." He laughed nervously and Atem nodded, apparently placated, shifting his attention elsewhere.
"Well, I wouldn't mind having a slice," Atem said, "provided you make another sometime…it smells," talking softly as he moved near Yugi, nearing the kitchen, getting closer and closer to Yugi's ear, "wonderful…"
Yugi was almost taken in by the voice but just at the last second barred Atem from entering the kitchen. Atem raised his eyebrows but Yugi stood firm. "I…I can't let you in here. I can't trust you with the cake."
Atem chuckled, the bottom end of the laughter dipping deep into his voice. "Really now," he said, "and why is that?"
"I…I know how you like cake…and I won't have time to bake another one tomorrow…so…I…"
Atem slowly put a hand on Yugi's shoulder, rubbing a small square pattern into it, and smiling quietly.
"I understand," he said and moved away towards his bedroom. Yugi sighed in relief and, turning to go back to his den of deliciousness, jumped when Atem appeared again and poked him in the back, laughing at Yugi's surprise.
"If I can't enter our kitchen, would you please bring me a soda if you wouldn't mind?"
Tossing a look at Yugi that begged sensual compromise, Atem really did move into his bedroom, leaving Yugi slumped against the doorframe, somewhere between exhausted and exhilarated.
Yugi thought it would be a massive chore hiding the cake from Atem but in the end, for some reason, the object of Yugi's affection kept his word. Perhaps he was just humoring Yugi and what he thought was one of the teen's many odd quirks. Perhaps he was secretly hurt by the fact that Yugi didn't feel he could trust him (and rightly so) with such a tempting dessert. Or perhaps Atem knew that if he held out from eating a single slice right then he would be able to enjoy an entire cake later. Whatever the reason, he stayed out of the kitchen.
Yugi in turn took his time perfecting the cake, slathering it with just the right amount of metal heavy frosting (also homemade) and even jury-rigging a piping bag to write on top of the round finished product. It was finished. Though…he would have probably gotten it done sooner if Atem hadn't asked him to bring him seemingly pointless things from the kitchen every ten minutes or so. Perhaps the man had actually just found another way to have fun with Yugi after all.
The next day, Yugi had everything planned perfectly. Atem would leave in the morning and Yugi would have the day free (it was a Sunday and one of the few precious days he had managed to save from work). He would leave at the same time as Atem and visit Joey for a little while (he'd checked last night, talking in the bathroom to avoid suspicion, and found that Joey was free that day) to add credit to his cover-story. Yugi would then return before Atem got home, hide the cake (which he'd left in the refrigerator) somewhere else in the apartment and surprise Atem with it later that night…probably after Atem got back from that party with Kaiba…
Yugi wasn't sure how long the party would last but he was determined to have the last laugh. He was sure Kaiba couldn't bake half as well as him.
Everything couldn't have gone smoother that morning. Yugi, awake and excited, rushed around getting ready and then waited until Atem was ready to leave. "The party's in an hour," Yugi said, meaning around eleven, "since that's when everyone was free…so I'll leave a little after you." Atem nodded sleepily, his reflexes active but his consciousness still drowsy. Yugi shut the door behind the man and smiled. Everything was perfect.
Atem was due back at four and Yugi would make sure to leave Joey's at three. Naturally, he could have just stayed at the apartment and twiddled through four hours but something in Yugi hated wasting time. He also felt anxious that Atem would know he hadn't been to Joey's and, putting his mind at ease, left the apartment that little while later, assured that everything would go as perfectly as he'd planned it.
"Hey Yug," Joey said, welcoming his friend into his shabbier but exceedingly comfortable apartment. Joey, industrious as ever, had worked a deal out with his landlord to work around the apartment building, doing a variety of odd jobs, allowing him slightly reduced rent suitable for his pitiful salary. He had found, like many, that no matter how hard he worked, he never seemed to be able to hold onto money as everything just cost too much. Thankfully, Joey was one of the fortunate few who measured the breadth of his life by spending time with his friends, however affable money was for him.
"Thanks for letting me come over on such short notice," Yugi said, walking in and sitting on Joey's threateningly volatile couch.
"No prob," Joey said, hopping over the back and crashing onto the cushion beside Yugi. The couch gave a menacing crunching growl but behaved, falling silent after a moment. "I don't get to hang out with you as often anymore, you know? It's good to hang out some."
"Yeah," Yugi said, smiling.
A moment went by. "So…" Joey said, arm slung over the back of the couch. "…How's that…guy you're staying with?"
"Atem? He's fine. At least, I guess he's fine. I mean, he doesn't really tell me otherwise."
"Right. And you two are getting along? I don't have to pile-drive him or anything, right?"
Yugi laughed, trying to avoid imagining what an altercation between Atem and Joey would look like. "No, he's really great. I'm actually here because I'm trying to stall for time."
Joey quirked an eyebrow and Yugi realized he had been a little insensitive.
"Oh, sorry, I just meant…well…it's his birthday today…and…"
"You wanted to surprise him or something?"
"Yeah…I did, but not until later and I'm sorry, you know I couldn't think of any better way to waste time than with you, Joey."
Joey grinned. "Yeah, bud, you and me are kings of wasting time…or I'm the king and you're a grand-duke or somethin'. I don't know. I don't care. You know I don't care Yug. It's just good to spend time with you."
"Agreed."
Another moment passed.
"So…"
"Hm?"
"You heard anymore from that creep Kaiba or whatever his name was?"
Yugi turned his head. "Actually that's how I found out about Atem's birthday to begin with. He left a message on Atem's phone and I—"
Joey began grinning and Yugi turned redder. "Okay, look, I wasn't snooping or anything, it's just that I—"
"Oh, I know what you were doing Yugi, you don't have to explain it to me."
"Joey…"
"No, no, go on with your story, sorry for interrupting."
"Okay, anyway, so he left a message and said that there would be a party for Atem tonight and that couldn't be anything but a birthday party I thought…so I made a cake and—"
"Woah, you made a cake? What cake?"
"Devil's foo—"
"Where is the cake?"
"Joey."
"No, I'm serious Yug, where is that cake? Tell me where it is man. Think of it as payment for spending time with me."
"I wasn't aware I owed you anything."
"Oh yeah," Joey said, crossing his arms behind his head, "you owe me big-time and all the times over the years have just been adding up…the way I figure it, you owe me, oh…about," he began counting slowly on his fingers, "five of those cakes."
Yugi laughed suddenly to see how serious Joey was about cake rather than buying (or selling) time.
"Yeah, yeah, I get it Joey. I'll make you one next week. How about that? This one is for Atem though. I've already written on it and everything."
"Look Yug, I don't care if it's got words on it or nothing. It's not gonna taste any different to me. Unless you put some cranberry icing or something on top, you know I hate cranberry Yug."
"Don't worry. It isn't cranber—hey wait, you aren't getting any of the cake!"
Joey laughed and Yugi play-punched him. "Honestly, what are you doing, Joey?"
"Eh, nothing Yug. Anyway, so it sounds like you two are doing alright if you can make him a cake for his birthday…"
Yugi quieted, turning face forward again, still smiling but less so. Joey waited, quieting also.
"We're sort of…" Yugi said, "getting somewhere I guess…it doesn't feel like it all the time and I wonder if there's really anything there…but…I do think of some of the times we've spent together and…I guess we're something…sort of…"
Yugi laughed anxiously. "It's sort of embarrassing to talk about…"
"The way I look at it," Joey said, "is how much you'd miss someone if they weren't in your life. It sounds like you'd be thrown a loop if this guy just went away…you think he feels the same about you?"
"I'm not sure…"
"You could ask him…?"
"Nah, I don't think I'd ever feel comfortable asking him something like that."
"Why not?"
"I…I don't know…it's complicated…he and I…don't exactly talk…it's difficult to talk to him sometimes…"
"…Well I know I'd miss you Yug if you weren't around."
"Thanks Joey."
"…because I wouldn't be getting any of that chocolate cake."
Yugi smacked Joey and they both started laughing, the austerity of the situation broken for good.
"Is that all I'm good for?" Yugi asked laughing.
"No, no, well, okay maybe, oh wait, no, stop!" Yugi had jumped on Joey and was smacking him with a pillow, pausing only after a minute or so of ineffective pillow smacking and Joey just dying laughing the whole time. Eventually he pushed Yugi off and sat up, holding his stomach and breathing hard, catching his breath. Yugi sat back on the couch and did the same.
Joey turned. "So what do you want to do anyway? I didn't really plan anything."
"Hm…well, we never did finish that Mario Kart marathon we'd planned last month."
"Oh, you're on Yug, I've been practicing."
"Careful what you wish for Joey."
Any passerby would have heard a chorus of curses, shouts of victory and groans of defeat had they passed by outside that room for the next several hours.
Atem arrived back at three, an hour earlier than he'd planned, since he'd somehow been extra productive that day, slogging away at his portfolio, replacing multiple drafts with newer, more finished ones; reorganizing it in a different way; allowing himself to go over the stapled packets of research, checking to make sure each little metal strip was straight. Yes, it had been a highly productive day.
Walking into the apartment, Atem almost expected Yugi to be waiting for him. It had happened so often that the college student (or younger college student that is) would greet him as he entered, cheerfully, nervously, as though he were a visitor at a zoo, staring in at some predatory cat, enjoying the odd, exciting colors of its coat but ever so slightly worried about the thin steel bars separating them. Atem gave a chuckle, not really authenticating his feline status but nonetheless condescending to the bars. As though he couldn't just reach through from time to time…
He dropped his bag, took off his boots and entered the kitchen, thrilling again to be allowed into his eatery. "Yugi will have already taken the cake off," he thought, "so there's no reason why I shouldn't be allowed in here." He opened the fridge to take out a soda can, only to stop, his face growing still with surprise.
There in the fridge sat Yugi's cake. Atem's first thought was that his younger flat-mate might have forgotten it but that assumption was a split-second before he read the white butter-cream frosting spiraling his name: "Happy Birthday Atem." Though the second "y" had gotten scrunched at the precipice of the cake, Atem stood there beholding this immaculate confection, smothered in smooth, dense chocolate frosting and no doubt clay-dense inside and a lot tastier.
Atem's mind though, never one to get stuck in the pot-holes of distraction, returned him to mental functioning a moment later. "My birthday?" he thought. He took a second and, remembering that odd answered voice mail he found on his phone, put two and two together. Taking his pop and closing the fridge again, leaving the cake unmolested for the time being, he entered the living room, perching on the top edge of the sofa and clicking through numbers on his phone.
It rang once and then twice.
"About time you called."
"Hello to you too."
"Don't be smug. I've been waiting a half hour for you to get here."
"That's what I called about."
There was unerring quiet on the other line.
"…Am I going to like what you're about to say?"
"Probably not."
Atem smiled at Kaiba's audible irritation, an aura that nearly manifested in menacing static on his end of the phone. Taking the time to sigh elaborately, the corporate magnate answered.
"Alright then, go on."
"I'm not going to be able to make it tonight," Atem said.
"…You have some other arrangement that eclipses this one in importance?"
"Believe it or not," Atem said, humor in his voice, "I have a different party I'm expected to attend."
"One I'm guessing that involves your roommate?"
"Perhaps."
"I thought as much. Visit me tomorrow to discuss the other plans we mentioned. You can do that at least, provided you don't have a party every day."
"And if I did?"
"Then you'll just have to deprive your guests of your presence."
Atem chuckled. "Give my regards to the people there tonight."
Kaiba grumbled, disgruntled. "You may send your own regards. I have other things to do besides party."
"Do you now?"
"…"
"Well, then," Atem said to the silence, "I'll see you tomorrow, preferably strung up with confetti and still wearing a party hat."
"Even at your funeral I think I'd limit myself to something less revealing of my enjoyment."
"Good. You never did look good in anything sparkly anyway. Goodbye Seto," Atem said and Seto Kaiba hung up the phone.
Atem looked around his apartment, smiling to himself; what fun he had to look forward to later.
Yugi put his key in the lock, feeling above the clouds coming back from Joey's. It had been an out-and-out battle but he, as he'd expected, reigned victorious in the sport of computerized go-kart racing. Naturally, he was an expert at all things non-physical.
With the same spirit of good mood, he opened the door, closed it behind him and failed to suppress a light gasp when he found Atem sitting, feet propped up, watching something on National Geographic. The older man's eyes swiveled and found Yugi standing motionless in shock, apparently the good mood not doing much to ameliorate his panic at the moment.
"How was the party?" Atem asked, his voice casual, giving off the vague cousin of interest usually found in polite conversation.
"Wh-what par—oh! Sorry, yeah, the party, it was…uh, it was great. Yeah. Everyone was there and we had a great time, lots of laughs and everything…" Yugi struggled to get his shoes off calmly and Atem watched with as little malice as possible (though he couldn't deny he was enjoying this) as Yugi almost tripped and braced himself against the door.
"How old is Joey's sister today?"
"Oh, uh, I think about 16 today…"
"About 16?"
"Well…you know, you don't actually turn a year older until the time you were born."
"Ah, right, of course." His eyes moved slowly back to the channel which showed a documentary on vampire bats, of all things. Yugi accepted the silence as a temporary truce, a welcomed armistice as he tried controlling his steps, walking into the kitchen. He was mentally flagellating himself for not accounting for this error in judgment.
"Of course he'd get here early! I should have just stayed here! I'm so stupid, he's probably seen the cake and everything!" Yugi slowly opened the fridge door and, to his heart's credit, did not pass out. The cake was fine, completely untouched and not besmirched in the slightest. Yugi hoped and prayed it had gone unnoticed. Taking a look around and making sure Atem was sufficiently absorbed into his nature show, Yugi grabbed a soda from the shelf, set it on the table and hustled the cake into his bedroom down the hall. He'd hidden the lid to the container in there and, sealing the whole thing safely off, breathed a sigh of relief.
Yugi walked back into the living room with his drink, scanning the table for any sign of fridge-opening and didn't see any. He sat down on the couch and Atem looked at him.
"Are you tired?" he asked. "You look a little…frazzled," he said, the end of the word curling up in his mouth.
"I'm fine. Just…it was a high energy party I guess…it's always like that with Joey."
"I assume so," Atem said smiling.
Yugi stared at the screen. "Why are you watching this?"
"It was the first thing I flipped to and I do happen to have an interest in bats…"
"Oh?"
"Mm. They're highly interesting creatures. Smart, small, usually quiet but given to periods of chattering…" he leaned closer, "with wonderful capabilities for listening and big eyes…of course," Atem said, "most things with large eyes are construed as cute…" he looked into Yugi's face with a smile and Yugi, too caught up in the moment to notice how weird Atem's words were, just nodded in agreement.
"All the same," Atem said, "I suppose we can look for something else…" He changed the channel and a Batman movie came on screen. "…That's ironic," Atem said. He looked sneakily over again. "Would you like to watch this one?" Atem had a soft spot for 80s and 90s Batman films.
Yugi nodded. "Yeah," he said, glad to find an appropriate, less awkward way to pass the time. "I don't think I've seen this one…"
Atem raised his eyebrows and smiled. "I hope you enjoy it." He got up and went into the kitchen, Yugi's heart jumping almost out of him until he realized, thankfully, as Atem returned clutching a soda for the movie, he had in fact moved the cake.
Even the exploits of a well-fit man in black leather cavorting around on the screen wasn't half as exciting as the casual gestures of the well-fit man in black leather sitting next to Yugi. And Yugi felt his pulse quicken as time slowly inched by.
Night came slow and beckoning like a grim specter, reminding Yugi that the time for him to spring his surprise, provided it went off at all, was creeping nearer. The Batman film had led to another Batman film and then, to Yugi's anxiety and Atem's delight, another in the marathon of Caped Crusader flicks. Atem did, after the third film, prevent himself from allowing the marathon to bleed into the newer trilogy of movies, all merited in their own right, but not as nostalgic or colorful as Atem liked.
Atem flipped the channel finally, allowing his eyes to grace the News, already in the middle of a story, and Yugi checked his phone. It was nearly eight o'clock. He had been so wrapped up worrying about how he was going to deal with surprising Atem that he hadn't noticed that six o'clock had gone by. Yugi cleared his throat.
"Uh…you got back early today?"
Atem looked at him, diverting his attention from a massive mudslide on television. "I did."
"You must have gotten a lot done?"
"You could say that."
"And you…uh, didn't happen to have anything planned for tonight?"
Yugi's eyes darted around, trying to make the question seem relatively innocent; his cheeks refused to bluff for him though. Atem smiled.
"You know, I was wondering about something…and perhaps you can help me with it," he said. "I left my phone here yesterday by accident and I was looking forward to a very important phone call…a friend was supposed to let me know the time of a get-together…"
Yugi gulped.
"However," Atem said, "when I checked, I hadn't gotten any messages so I assumed no one had called. You were here yesterday, so did you happen to hear it ring?"
"I…I,uh…"
"Yes?"
"I…I'll be right back."
Yugi almost flew to his bedroom, trying to escape. He had no idea that phone call might have been important and he'd completely forgotten to mention it to Atem! Had he made Atem miss something for work? Come to think of it, he didn't really imagine Seto Kaiba being the type to throw birthday parties…all of a sudden, it was seeming as though he'd really messed up and the insinuating tone Atem had taken didn't help at all.
Yugi returned to the living room, trying to control his breathing, carrying the cake. He didn't have any candles so he merely came around the couch and said, "Happy birthday." He could hear his voice quiver and he watched Atem's eyes fill up with a mixture of emotion, everything from humor to sympathy.
Atem patted the seat next to him and Yugi set the cake down on the nearby coffee table (which served more often as a cake table).
"I…I answered the message," Yugi began, sitting down, really more afraid than he felt he ought to have been.
"You did?" Atem asked, his voice not really holding a question.
"Yeah…I thought it would be something important…but I just heard about a party and I assumed…"
"That it was my birthday," Atem said.
"Yeah…" Yugi turned his big, purple, vampire bat eyes on Atem suddenly. "Did I make you miss something important?"
Atem tried but couldn't keep himself from laughing at that point. The situation had gotten too serious and Yugi just stared at him confused. "Is that a no?"
"Yes, it is," Atem said. "That party was just for one of KaibaCorp's new inventions. Seto just thinks that if he throws the party in other people's honor he can have more of them without suspicion. It's an advertising ploy really."
"So…so it's not your birthday?"
"No. Mine isn't for another few months."
"Oh…" Yugi said, looking tiredly down at the cake. He had down all this for nothing. This just showed what happened when one jumped to conclusions.
"Yugi," Atem said softly. Yugi looked and saw the man lean closer to him, just close enough for their shoulders to touch. "Thank you," he said.
"For what? I kind of just screwed up."
"On the contrary. I would claim any day as my birthday provided," he said, taking a swipe of frosting with his finger, "I have one of your cakes." The digit disappeared into his mouth and after a few seconds returned clean of chocolate. Atem continued smiling.
Yugi however just felt tired. He didn't feel relieved. Rather, he felt his one chance to impress Atem, surprise Atem, had just backfired. Not only had Atem evidently known the whole time and more than likely discovered the cake, Yugi had put himself through anguish and worry about getting everything right just to have been teased until the very end. He sat back with a sigh, irritated. He didn't want to have to be an extraordinary tactician every day to give Atem something to admire.
"What's wrong?" Atem asked.
"Nothing," Yugi said, not looking at him.
"Now, don't tell me you're upset…"
"Upset about what?"
Atem chuckled and Yugi just felt worse. He didn't like feeling so helpless around Atem, feeling as though he couldn't pull anything off on his own, as though he was powerless around this man. It was more than upsetting to think that all Atem had to do was waltz into a room and Yugi would crumble into rubble around him, unable to think, express himself properly, unable to keep it together. He had yet to see a hint of that from Atem and, as much as he admired, cared for, was attracted to this unfairly capable creature, he did not like feeling as though he had no role, no other option besides to respond to the game Atem played with him.
Atem, not a mind reader, but a gifted reader of atmospheres, turned off the television and put his hand on Yugi's. Yugi didn't move his hand and after a moment Atem said, "to be honest, I don't really celebrate my birthday…it's not something I do. I can get together with friends anytime I like and I don't really see the need to have a reason other than all of us wanting to see each other and spend time together…but…"
He slowly moved his thumb over Yugi's hand. "You," he said, "are a special case."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean," Atem said, his lips dangerously close to Yugi's ear, "that you make even events as detestable as birthday parties so vibrant and vital that even on days that aren't my birthday, I wished they were…"
"I didn't do anything."
"You did. You might have noticed I'm sitting here instead of spending time at an idle celebration with Kaiba."
Yugi didn't say anything. He could smell the sound of Atem's voice, deep and dark and humid, smelling, when it raised slightly, like the crackle of fire. He hated feeling powerless, yes, but he didn't mind as much being so close, so successfully close, however unsuccessful the process was to get there, to Atem.
"I wanted you here."
"And…that's why I'm here," Atem said. For once, Yugi saw an opening and took it, the opening being the lovely slack spot in between Atem's lips. Yugi could taste Atem's voice as well, reduced to muted murmurings of pleasure, of surprise, of warmth from his throat, welling out in uneven, beautifully finished noises. That taste, one so ephemeral and intimate, mixed almost perfectly with the wisps of chocolate staining Atem's tongue.
The grim specter of night drew back and left the apartment, leaving instead the fixed spirit of intimacy, a presence that transmuted the dark from a terror to a comfort, the soft black air resembling sheets in a big, wide, bed. One can imagine the freedom found in a bed like this and rather than relate such activities, it might be better expressed just to say, the cake was completely forgotten.
A/N: This was loosely based on wordsmithie's wonderful fic Freefall. Mine makes more sense if you read it but even if you just want an excellent story with solid writing, I highly recommend heading over and giving it a peek.
Thanks, please review!