Valkyria : Don't ask why I'm posting this, I just am. This is going to be a three-shot. You heard me, not a multiple chapter fic, a three-shot.

Disclaimer : I claim no rights to the anime/manga Yu-gi-oh.

Chapter One: Benefits

Yuugi Motou was many things- a graduate of Domino University with a Bachelor of Business and Egyptology under his belt. He is the current owner of the Kame Game Shop in the Domino Business district and an avid lover of the card game Duel Monsters and if asked by friends what kind of person he was, the usual response would be duty-bound to his late grandfather, financially secure and responsible, fun-loving, smart, kind and compassionate. Out of all of those compliments, sexually active would never be among them. Oh no, his dear friends would never let the thought that their innocent and pure-hearted friend would be in a purely sexual relationship.

He often wondered just how well his friends thought they knew him.

His relationship with Atem Ishigami started about a year ago. He was at a party for his friend's Seto Kaiba and Jounouchi Katsuya when he ran into the archeologist. At first, he was taken aback at how similar they looked, but taking a closer look, it wasn't that hard to notice the small, but noticeable differences. Their eyes, height, muscle, accent and approach to life to rattle off a few. What caught Yuugi off guard was how charming Atem was to him and the people around him, but it wasn't Atem's charisma or his looks that led them to the bedroom. No, it was the man's intelligence and wit that did that.

He was fascinated at how much Atem knew about Egypt and its history and even more in awe at the archaeologist's ties to the Pharaoh's. He listened intensely as Atem rattled off some of the stories and encounters he had while in Egypt, Greece, and Spain and many other exotic places that Yuugi would never had a chance to go to. The way they grew closer to each other sounded like something out of a cheesy romance novel, but it happened and Yuugi wasn't ashamed to admit that he enjoyed every day with the man. Especially the night they finally fell in bed together. He was upset at how little money the game shop made that week and Atem, not wanting to see him sad, took him out to dinner and took his mind off the horrid business week and it was in that moment that Yuugi felt an immense attraction to Atem and pressed his lips to the archaeologist's in the middle of one of his tales. It was like he said before, cheesy romance novel, but he loved it and he definitely loved the way he moved against Atem that night, how the kissed and caressed each other and the way Atem held him when everything was set and done.

The next morning they both decided that they wanted the relationship to be purely sexual and they didn't want emotions involved with it. This was to be their break from reality and they would keep it to themselves. Yuugi enjoyed the way things were between them, and he thought Atem did too, but as it turned out, he didn't know Atem as well as he thought he did.

"I thought you liked pancakes?" Atem's smooth drawl brought him out of his brooding thoughts. "You're staring at them like they're going to kill you."

This is one of the things that Yuugi started noticing. He didn't know that Atem was a gourmet cook.

Interesting

"I love pancakes." Yuugi made a grabbing motion with his hands and inhaled the smell of eggs, bacon and chocolate chip pancakes as they were set on his lap. "I'm not complaining or anything, Atem, but why did you make me breakfast?" Yuugi looked up from the meal and mentally groaned at the scowl Atem now wore.

Oh yeah, that was the dreaded I'm so offended face.

"I'm sorry!" Yuugi picked up the fork and startled at the orgasmic taste that hit his taste buds. "Oh, oh this is so good."

"I knew you'd like it, beautiful." Atem leaned down and kissed his neck and trailed down his shoulders. "You told me that chocolate chip was your favorite, remember?"

No, not really.

"Yes," Yuugi whispered just for the older man's sake. "I remember."

Atem obviously noticed his lack enthusiasm because he sighed and lay on the bed next to him and poked his covered leg. "I'm sorry, did I go too far?"

"No, goodness no, Atem, this is just out of the blue that's all." Yuugi caressed Atem's cheek and returned to his breakfast. "Do you have any plans today?"

"I have a meeting with Hawkins-san. I told you about him, right? He's the head of the archaeology committee."

"Yes, he worked with my grandfather for a brief time." Yuugi's heart stung at the mention of his grandpa, it had been a whole year now and it still stung to think or even speak about him. "You'll give him my regards, won't you?"

"Yes, of course," Atem leaned over and pressed a chaste kiss on his lips before rising out of the bed and revealing that he was only wearing a pair of black boxer briefs. "What are your plans for today?"

"I'm going to visit Jounouchi and Seto. They invited me to lunch today."

Atem gave him a blank look as he pulled on his pants and shirt. "You still haven't told them about us yet?"

"No, should I have?"

"It would be nice if we didn't have to sneak around all the damn time." Atem muttered sourly drawing a frown from Yuugi. "It would be nice if we can go out and have lunch, in public."

"What is wrong with you?" Yuugi asked calmly, trying to push down the indignation that he felt at his lover's remarks. "You were the one who never wanted to go out in public, and now you're saying you want to?"

"I'm not saying that we should show the world, Yuugi, I'm just saying that it wouldn't hurt to go to the movies or to lunch every once in a while."

Yuugi sighed and placed his hands on his naked shoulders and giving them a good rubbing. It was honestly too damn early for this and he told Atem so, only earning him another scowl and heavy sigh.

"I'm sorry," Atem apologized for the second time this morning. "I'm just irritated."

Yuugi smiled, slowly, and rose the covered revealing his pale body. "I can help you relieve that tension if you want?"

Atem smirked and took off his clothes and dived back into the bed chuckling to Yuugi's squeaks as he ticked his lover's small hips and legs.

"You're looking awfully chipper." Jounouchi commented, drawing Yuugi's gaze away from the lake. "What's got you so happy lately?"

"Life," Yuugi replied softly, grinning at his friend's raised brow. "It's good, isn't it?"

Jounouchi shared a look with Seto before turning back to Yuugi. "I suppose it is, buddy,"

"Why don't you ask what you really want to ask, puppy." Seto's deep voice chimed in gently. "Yuugi, who are you fucking?"

"Seto, what the hell is wrong with you?" Jounouchi reached over and patted Yuugi's back in an effort to calm the shorter man's coughing. "I wasn't going to ask him that!"

"Yes, you were going to ask him that." Seto sipped his white wine calmly. "You told me you were going to do the subtle approach, but I find being direct works wonder and it wastes little time."

"Every day I wonder why in the hell I accepted your marriage proposal." Jounouchi hissed, handing his friend a napkin to wipe his mouth with.

"You did say he was good in bed, Jounouchi." Yuugi said from underneath the soft napkin earning a glare from the CEO to which he raised an eyebrow in return. What, the fucker deserved it for making him spit out his drink.

After Yuugi reorganized himself and ordered another drink, he shifted in his seat at his friend's curious stare. Despite the rudeness of the question, Jounouchi obviously wanted an answer to the question.

Dammit.

"I'm in a relationship." Yuugi admitted slowly, and not without hesitation. "We preferred to keep it to ourselves."

"Oh, is it anyone that we know?"

Yuugi bit his bottom lip at the question. He didn't think they would like it if they found out that he was having sex with Atem, Seto's close cousin.

No, he didn't think they would like it all.

"You can say that."

"I should have hired a private investigator if it was going to take this long to get the answer out of you." Seto smirked as he took another sip of wine. "Listen, I couldn't care less if you're in deep love, purely fucking or just in a relationship, but I do consider you a friend Yuugi and I would prefer if we had a damn name instead of a face."

"Wow," Jounouchi blew out a heavy sigh. "I cannot believe you just said that, what is wrong with you? No, really, what is wrong with you."

"Atem." Yuugi blurted, wanting to slap himself when both of Seto's brows shot up and Jounouchi's jaw dropped. This wasn't going to well, but like a brave soldier, he pressed on, despite feeling like he was now walking through a minefield. Crap.

"Who did you say?" Seto asked, blinking slowly. "Did you say Atem? You're sleeping with my cousin? Atem Akamkanon Ishigami?"

"Yes."

"Oh, god," Seto closed his eyes and groaned. "I have the most horrid images in my head and they won't go away."

"It's not that bad, really, it isn't." Yuugi turned to Jounouchi who had seemed to fallen into a daze. "Jounouchi? Are you okay?"

"I-I need a drink." Jounouchi grabbed the wine out of Seto's slack grip. "Yuugi, man, you're sleeping with my future cousin-in-law."

"Well, at least I'm part of your family now." Yuugi giggled hysterically at the shocked looks he received. Why did those words come out of his mouth? Why?

"Okay, we don't have a problem with you sleeping with –I hope that's not all you're doing- with Atem." Jounouchi shook his head sharply when Seto groaned. "We don't, but why didn't you tell us-no, scratch that, when this whole thing even start?"

Lie, Yuugi, Lie

"You haven't told them about us, have you?"

"I just want to out in public with you, just once."

Yuugi lowered his head as Atem's words came to his mind suddenly, he didn't know why Atem wanted a stable relationship with him. He thought they were just fine with the things were at the moment, but he would be lying to himself when he said he didn't see the yearning in Atem's eyes when he left his lover's condo early in the morning.

"A year," Yuugi whispered. "We've been going out for a year."

"Your relationship isn't the type where you show off to the world, is it?" Seto asked rhetorically. "I never thought I see the day where Yuugi Motou would enter a purely sexual relationship."

"It worked!" Yuugi shook his head at Jounouchi's sigh. "It worked for the both of us and it's still working."

"Is it really, Yuugi?" Seto asked carefully. "I know my cousin better than anyone on this Earth and he's not the type to stay in those types of relationships for long. He'll either break it off or try to stabilize the relationship into something worthwhile. Atem is a tenacious little bastard."

Yuugi could agree with that particular statement.

"Yuugi, buddy," Jounouchi reached over the table and grabbed his hands. "This relationship you got going with Atem isn't healthy and I think you should break it off with him. If you don't then you'll both up end up hurt and bitter and cynical-and I just described Seto."

"Shut up, Katsuya."

"It's okay Jounouchi, really it is, but I think that Atem and I can figure this out on our own, okay? We can make this relationship work."

"Yuugi-"

"I sincerely hope that you can, Yuugi, because I don't take people hurting my cousin lightly." Seto smiled sharply at Yuugi who shrunk back against the seat. "I hope we both have a mutual understanding."

"Of course we do and I'll make sure that I'll deliver the message to Atem with flowers and bows attached."

Seeing Seto pale and scowl made this confession worth it.