Yu-Gi-Oh! (c) Kazuki Takahashi

Oh, this is one of my favorite fics. This might be the best one I've ever written. I hope that you all like it as much as I do.


Two weeks. That's how long it had been since Atem had returned to life. That's how long Atem's genius-class mind had been stewing over the… accident. Yes, it was an accident in a way, one that was unexpected and had severe and debilitating consequences. But it wasn't an accident in another way, for Atem did have a choice, yet it was a choice that he would never have wanted to be faced with.

As the final move in the ceremonial duel was being made, the question facing Atem was this:

"Your life or your humanity?" the spirits of the Millennium Items asked him. Time seemed to slow, and every second passed like an hour. What would he choose? To live in the depths of the Puzzle, leeching Yugi's life while he remained a spirit forever? Or to become a creature of darkness, one that so many feared, and for good reason?

He had been asked to choose between his life and his humanity, and he had chosen to give up the existence he had known to exist as something entirely different in this world. But was it worth it? Was it worth it to come back and wonder if Yugi would ever look at him fearlessly if he knew the truth? Was it worth it to smell Yugi's blood and hear his heartbeat? Was it worth it to dream those dreams every night?

Yugi didn't know, not yet. Atem had not yet plucked up enough courage to tell him. He often envisioned and even practiced such a conversation. In fact, he was practicing at that very moment. "Yugi," Atem muttered, pacing inside his bedroom, "there's something…" He shook his head. That would make Yugi feel even more nervous than he had to.

"Yugi, when I came back to life, I…" Still wrong. It was too direct, far too direct. Atem sighed and rubbed his forehead, trying to will his brain to come up with a solution. It had to be quick, before he started imagining how Yugi would react once he found out…

Too late.

Atem lay down on his bed and covered his eyes with his arm. The darkness didn't make much of a difference—his day vision was horrible, and he relied heavily on his senses of hearing and smell. "Yugi, I need to talk to you about the day I came back to life."

"Sure, go ahead." Atem sat up in an instant and noticed Yugi standing in the doorway, holding a basket of clean clothes to be put away. They weren't as clean as they could have been: Atem could still smell the scent of flesh on them.

"Oh—Oh, Yugi, I didn't see you there," Atem said quickly.

Yugi winked at him and began to fold their laundry. "It kinda seemed like you did, considering that you were talking to me. Or were you talking to someone else named Yugi?" he asked, his eyes twinkling like little stars with amusement.

Atem looked away and cursed himself in frustration. He had been trying to find the right way to tell Yugi all of this time, but it didn't really matter. When Yugi was standing in front of him, the words disintegrated in his mouth like cotton candy. "So what were you saying about the day you came back to life?" Yugi asked. He was having trouble folding the bed sheets with his short arms, so Atem got up to help him.

"It's… it's nothing important," Atem lied.

"Then why were you talking to thin air about it?" Yugi asked wisely. Atem paused and began to feel a slight panic in his abdomen. Had Yugi begun to catch on? Yugi smiled at him. "I think I know what might be going on," Yugi said. Atem's eyes widened. How could he have known? Atem had been very, very careful not to reveal any of the signs! "You're having trouble fitting into the modern world, aren't you?"

Atem had to repress a great sigh of relief. So Yugi didn't know. But Atem knew that that wouldn't last for long. Full moon was coming in just a week, and even Atem couldn't think of a way that he could excuse himself from human company for the night. First, there was the matter of what to say to Yugi and Grandpa. Then there was the matter of where to stay so that he wouldn't be seen by delinquent teenagers or filthy derelicts. Yugi would find out, one way or another. But Atem couldn't do it just yet. He still didn't have the courage.

"There are still a lot of things about this age that I don't fully understand," Atem said, following his narrow escape. "I know that I'll get used to it in time, but… everything is so different here."

When it was required, Atem could be a master liar. But he hated lying to Yugi. And he hated being such a coward. Why couldn't he just say it? Why did he have to torture himself like this? Knowing was better than not knowing, wasn't it? He tried to say something, he physically tried, but it was as if his throat wouldn't obey his heart. He almost choked on his own failed attempt to tell the truth.

"You know that you can always ask me about anything, right?" Yugi asked, putting the now-folded sheets into a drawer. Yugi was oblivious to Atem's struggle. "I mean, I know that you like to sort of… keep a dignified appearance, but it never hurts to ask. I won't tell Joey and Tristan if it's something a little unusual."

Atem chuckled and hated himself for chuckling. Why did he have to be such a good liar? He almost wished that Yugi could look into his brain and see the truth, because his tongue wasn't obeying him. "Like when I asked you the precise purpose of the toaster?"

Yugi smiled and nodded. "You'll do fine. Everyone needs some practice before they get a hold of things." He picked up the empty laundry basket and was about to walk out, but he stopped and turned back to Atem. "By the way, Grandpa's cooking steak and baked potatoes for dinner. How do you want your steak cooked?"

"Rare," Atem answered, sinking back onto the bed. "Very rare."


Today was the day—June 29th, the evening of the full moon. Yugi and the others had just gotten out of school, the weather was getting warmer, and the days were getting longer. Children ran around in the park, making their blood run hotter and their scents smell sweeter…

"No!" Atem thought to himself. "No, you can't entertain these thoughts. You need to tell Yugi the truth, and quickly, before he sees you when you can't tell him anything…"

Atem was afraid for one of the few times in his very long existence. If he changed, he could become a monster. He could hurt the ones he loved. He didn't know anything about his animal nature, and his bloodlust was getting stronger and stronger all the time. What if he had to leave human company permanently one day? What if he did something terrible to Yugi, like kill him or turn him into a monster as well?

Atem knocked on Yugi's door. "Come in!" Atem walked in and saw Yugi lying on his bed, biting his lip in frustration as he played a handheld video game. "What's up?" Yugi asked, sounding as if he was a bit distracted.

Atem looked out the window. It was only noon, but there were just eight hours remaining until sundown. "Yugi, there's something I need to tell you, something I've been keeping from you for a long time," he said quietly. Yugi noticed the tone in his voice and shut his game off immediately.

"Is something wrong?" Yugi inquired.

Atem sat down next to Yugi on his bed. "I suppose that depends on your perspective," Atem answered. "It could be wrong… yet I still believe that my decision was for the best."

"What is it?" Yugi sounded worried now. Atem hadn't wanted to upset Yugi so quickly, but there was little that could be done about that.

"I must tell you this first: No matter what happens—no matter what—I will never hurt you. Do you understand?" Atem asked fervently. Yugi nodded, looking concerned. "Alright." Atem sighed. The moment had finally come. Was he ready? Would he ever be ready? "Do you know that today is full moon, Yugi?"

Yugi shook his head, but he fixed his eyes warily on Atem. "Sorry. I don't really pay attention to that." Something in Yugi's eyes told Atem that Yugi was catching on—the boy was bright.

"You have heard legends… myths of werewolves in your pop culture, haven't you?" Atem asked. "It seems to be a popular subject for fantasy fiction."

"What… what are you trying to tell me, Atem?" Yugi asked, sitting up on his knees. His eyes were began to flick nervously, and he apprehension emanated from his skin. He was ready to run away if he had to, run away from Atem. That was not what Atem wanted.

Atem took Yugi's hand and squeezed it softly. "Yugi, what I'm trying to tell you is that I'm really a werewolf." Yugi's expression changed dramatically within seconds—first he was surprised, then he was angry, then he took on a defensive fear, springing up from the bed and inching away from Atem.

"Yugi, please!" Atem begged, reaching out for Yugi but grasping only air. "I told you that I would not hurt you. I would not lie to you!"

"You mean except for the three weeks that you've been lying to me about this?" Yugi asked sharply. "If you don't want to hurt me, then why didn't you tell me about this before?"

"Yugi… I was afraid," Atem admitted. "I was afraid that you would look at me the way you're looking at me now, with fear and loathing in your eyes."

Yugi's defensive posture relaxed a little bit. He walked over to his desk and leaned on it. "If what you say is true…" he began. He reached into his desk and pulled out a utility knife. Before Atem could protest, he had drawn it across the palm of his hand, drawing crimson blood. "Then this won't mean anything to you!" He shoved his bloody hand in Atem's face.

Atem jumped back and pressed himself against the wall. The call of the blood was so strong, and Yugi's flesh smelled so sweet in all his fear and anger… But he had made a promise to Yugi not to hurt him, and he had made a promise to himself not to regret his decision to return to this world. All of his veins burned with the craving, but if he willed it desperately, he could control his desire.

"It doesn't," Atem said through clenched teeth. His voice was so low and strained that it sounded like a feral growl. "My word is my bond, Yugi. I will not break my promise."

"And what about someone else?" Yugi demanded. "Will you hurt them?"

"I'm not a monster, Yugi, please… please believe me," Atem pleaded, regaining all of his wits as Yugi retracted his hand. "I'm just… a little less than human."

Yugi turned around and stared at the floor. "Give me a little time, please," he requested. Atem nodded and left Yugi's room, wondering if he would ever be invited back into it.