Building A Home In Your Heart

by Kitsune-Paws

Yuugi has a massive crush on his handsome co-worker who works down the hall from him. In an attempt to dazzle said co-worker, Yuugi finds out that he's in desperate need of help, and immediately volunteers. Little does Yuugi know that his co-worker's troubles run a little deeper than he could have ever imagined.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! nor its characters. I also do not profit from this work of fiction.

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A/N: Dedicated to my bff bc she's rad af. Also, y'all can follow me on tumblr now: floreswrites

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Summary: Yuugi has a massive crush on his handsome co-worker who works down the hall from him. In an attempt to dazzle said co-worker, Yuugi finds out that he's in desperate need of help, and immediately volunteers. Little does Yuugi know that his co-worker's troubles run a little deeper than he could have ever imagined.

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Warning: Sexual Harassment, Racism, Social Commentary

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Building A Home In Your Heart

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"Hey, Mutou, looking good!"

Startled, Yuugi jumped a foot in the air and turned to see one of his coworkers walking away from him.

"Thanks!" he quickly called after them, and he smoothed a hand down the front of the lavender vest over his baby blue button-up. He had taken a risk buying it, as it had been slightly over his price range, and was glad it was working for the most part. His coworkers had been complimenting him left and right throughout the day, but the final and most important test had yet to come.

Turning back, Yuugi peered around the corner he hid behind, looking into the office ahead. His stomach flipped and he took a shaky breath. Straightening out his trembling knees, he cleared his throat and pushed forward.

He walked into the office, keeping his shoulders straight and his posture loose. The office was a tiny thing, practically a shoe box. Yuugi had never understood how its occupant could stand the confined space. The desk, bookshelf, and drafting table had been squeezed in, barely leaving any pacing room. It was glorified closet space in Yuugi's opinion. Hell, Yuugi's own closet was larger than the office itself. Glancing around, Yuugi shifted, uncomfortable at the bare walls and a singular picture of the blue sky. There were no windows, and the lack of them gave the room a suffocating feeling. Yuugi suspected that that was why the door was always open.

Leaning against the doorjamb, Yuugi opened his mouth to speak, when he thought better of his stance and pushed away.

"H —" Yuugi began to call out, when the man at the drafting table let out a desperate groan.

"Oh, man," he whispered, his voice strained and throaty. He buried his head into his hands, his usually neat hair had expanded to a violent red bush, the ends sticking out every which way as if he had run his hands through it countless times.

He raised his face just enough to look at the drawing on the drafting table, and Yuugi's breath died in his lungs at the dead look in his eyes.

His chest ached.

Glancing behind him to make sure no one was looking, Yuugi moved further inside and quietly closed the door. He instantly regretted the action as the suffocating feeling in the room instantly doubled, but he prevailed. Bringing his hands together, he only just kept himself from wringing them with worry.

The redheaded man said nothing of Yuugi's presence. Such was his preoccupation that he had yet to notice Yuugi. "Atemu?" he said, and Atemu jumped in fright. Dropping the pencil in his hands, Atemu's head whipped towards him, his violet-red eyes wide and fearful. Upon seeing Yuugi, he visibly breathed in relief and his entire body loosened into an exhausted mess.

Composing himself, he cleared his throat and smiled, tired, but still incredibly wonderful.

It was all Yuugi could do to keep from swooning. His heart skipped several beats and he smiled back goofily before he caught himself and returned to his concerned demeanor.

"Yuugi," Atemu said, his usually smooth baritone rough with disuse. "Hey, what's up?"

Suddenly nervous, Yuugi became far too aware of himself in the small room. He was like an alien granted a human body for the first time, shifting on his feet and struggling to figure out the most natural position for his flailing and awkward limbs.

What are hands? Yuugi thought irately before he settled them on his hips, instantly regretting his choice upon feeling too exposed. Not only that, but he was sure he would look confrontational. Regardless, he did not dare move them, and forced himself to remain loose to make up for it.

"H-hey," Yuugi faltered. He cleared his throat, a red blush spreading onto his cheeks at the squeaky sound of his voice. Pitching it lower, he said, "Hey, Atemu."

Yuugi froze, mortification burning on his skin like acid. His voice had come out unexpectedly deep, like a frog's croak, and Yuugi wished the floor would open up in that instant and swallow him whole.

And Atemu — adorable, innocent Atemu — gazed at him with confusion, before a small smile pulled at his lips.

Kill me, Yuugi prayed to the heavens. Smite me now, but like right now. Please!

"Are you okay?" Atemu asked. "You sound like you're catching a cold there."

Oh, you innocent, beautiful, and fluorescent unicorn, Yuugi silently sighed.

"Maybe," Yuugi said weakly before shaking his head. "Um, I was just walking by, and I saw you in here." Yuugi did not know which immortal had granted him the power to speak normally, but he swore fealty to Them in an instant. "Are you okay?" Yuugi asked, his previous concern shining through. "You look…"

Stressed, exhausted, ready to drop dead, about to jump off the building, like you need a brush and a shave, in need of a long nap — the possibilities swept past him before finally settling on — still absolutely fucking gorgeous with your five o'clock shadow and your wrinkled clothes.

Then Yuugi froze, his violet eyes zeroing in on the plain, white shirt and the subtly plaid black slacks. His mouth parted as realization hit him like a ton of painful bricks.

"…Like you didn't go home yesterday," Yuugi said, and Atemu blushed, embarrassed. He grimaced, self consciously running a hand through his messy hair.

Atemu's half-assed attempt at grooming did nothing for him, but everything for Yuugi's pining libido. With a deep inhale, Yuugi bit his lip.

"Uh, yeah," Atemu said with a sigh. "I kinda haven't gone home yet."

Oh, Atemu, Yuugi thought, his heart breaking for him, you poor, incandescent angel.

"Is that a new vest?"

Distracted, Yuugi noticed Atemu was pointing at his vest, and he lit up like Las Vegas at night.

He noticed! Yuugi inwardly cheered, but his excitement felt bittersweet. Atemu was troubled. He looked like he had been through hell since the last time Yuugi saw him, and the acknowledgment of the vest fell flat. His stupid vest and how long he took at the store searching for it did not matter in that moment.

What mattered was Atemu.

"It's nothing," Yuugi said, and he approached, closing the short distance between them. "Atemu, are you okay?" He paused at the edge of the drafting table, glancing at the large page on it. Atemu preferred traditional drawing to digital, and he was quite good at it. However, the building he had drawn was not his best work. It was a modern building, but Atemu had erased his lines so many times, that it was only a smudged mess. He looked at Atemu who was gazing forlornly at the paper.

"I'm perfect," Atemu said bitterly.

"I agree, but you seem stressed," Yuugi said before he could think it through, and he stilled, his mouth cementing shut and humiliation stinging through him.

Now would be an excellent time for the earth to split and devour me whole! Yuugi called to the deity he was sure was listening in.

But Atemu chuckled, throaty and warm, and Yuugi melted at the sound of it.

"Thanks," Atemu said, and when Yuugi dared to look at him, he saw a renewed twinkle in his eye and gratitude on his face.

More than perfect, Yuugi thought, though, thankfully, he did not say it out loud.

"Schroeder gave me a new project yesterday," Atemu said. "KaibaCorp hired us to make their new building here in the city, so he put me on it. I stayed all night to work on it, but as you can see…" He gestured at the page with his chin. "It's hot garbage."

"No, it's not," Yuugi tried to console him, but the grimace on Atemu's face made him reconsider. "Okay, it could be better," Yuugi said, nodding, "but I'm sure you'll figure it out. You're brilliant at this!"

"Thanks," Atemu said, his expression softening.

"There's plenty of time," Yuugi said. "But right now you look like you could really use a break."

And a shave, a hot bath, a massage, a big messy kiss, a blow job, Yuugi's mind continued without pause.

"No time," Atemu mumbled, pushing back from the table and standing. He stretched his arms over his head and twisted his body, and Yuugi caught a large whiff of his body odor.

Despite not having showered or changed his clothes, Atemu still smelled really good, and Yuugi found himself leaning to take in more of his scent. Aside from day-old sweat, Atemu still carried the scent of his aftershave and a spritz of some delicious cologne that Yuugi could not put his finger on. But, by cheese, Yuugi wished he could put his finger on it.

A finger, a hand, my mouth, Yuugi thought, and he jerked back when he almost smushed his face into the back of Atemu's shoulder.

Atemu turned abruptly, catching him in the act and frowning. After a second, his expression shifted into embarrassment and he chuckled sheepishly.

"Yeah, I'm probably pretty ripe right now," he said, raising his arm and sniffing. "Sorry," he said, lowering it once more.

Yuugi began to protest.

"No!" he wanted to say. "You don't smell bad at all! You smell amazing!"

But the implications of that would have been too strong, and Yuugi tightened his jaw to keep from saying anything incriminating.

"Anyway," Atemu sighed, gazing at his work, "no breaks."

"There's always time for a break," Yuugi said with a disbelieving laugh. He reached out and clapped Atemu on the shoulder. "Come on, we'll go to lunch, look at some buildings, stare at the sky, breathe some fresh air — it'll be good for you."

And just like a date, Yuugi thought, win-win!

"I really can't, Yuugi," Atemu said, and some of the previous stress returned to his eyes. It pained Yuugi to see it. "I have to turn this in by the end of the month for approval."

Yuugi dropped his hand.

"The draft?" Yuugi said. "Well, that's cutting it pretty close, but you still ought to eat something every once in a while —"

"No," Atemu said, and he breathed a heavy, world-weary sigh, his shoulders drooping in exhaustion. "I need to have a model done by the end of the month."

"A 3D model?" Yuugi said, blinking. "As in the physical thing?"

"Yes," Atemu said, showing an extraordinary amount of patience for someone without time to waste.

"Are you insane?" Yuugi shouted, his voice reverberating in the small room, and Atemu blinked at him, eyes wide. "A model by the end of the month? Of a whole building? You're not a machine, Atemu! Go change your deadline — how could you promise results by the end of the month? You're crazy! Are you planning not to eat or sleep at all? Geez!" Yuugi dug his hands through his hair, shaking his head. "You need to go tell Siegfried you miscalculated, and you need more time — how could you tell him you'd do it by the end of the month!"

"Yuugi."

Atemu's soft voice broke through his tirade, and Yuugi looked at him, winding down from his excitement.

When Atemu was sure he had Yuugi's attention, he took a breath.

"I didn't choose the deadline," he said.

"You didn't?" Yuugi questioned, and he blushed. "Oh." He scratched at his cheek. "Sorry for yelling at you."

"Forgiven," Atemu said with a warm smile.

Yuugi's heart fluttered.

"Gee," Yuugi said, "I don't know who designed his other buildings, but this is ridiculous! These things take time." He shook his head. "We'll talk to Siegfried," he said. "I'm sure he'll be able to get you more time —"

"Yuugi," Atemu said quietly, gazing at him with a somber expression, "it was Schroeder who decided the deadline."

Yuugi stopped breathing.

"What?" Yuugi said in disbelief. He shook his head. "No, that can't be right. Siegfried wouldn't do that. He's a great boss. He knows we can't work with such a short time slot."

Atemu smiled at him, a slow steady smile that belied the urgency of his coming deadline.

"Maybe to you he's a great boss," Atemu said softly, "but Schroeder always had it out for me. Last time, he only gave me two months."

"But that doesn't sound like him at all," Yuugi protested. "He's always given me plenty of time for projects! He's even extended deadlines without me asking." Yuugi shook his head. "No, there's something not right here," Yuugi said, and he turned. "I'm gonna go talk to him — there has to be some mistake!"

"Yuugi," Atemu said, and he took Yuugi's bicep, pulling him away from the door. "It's not a mistake," he said. "A month is all I have. He's not going to give me more time. He'll just give the project to someone else, and then he'll fire me." Taking a deep breath, Atemu shook his head. "I need this job, Yuugi," he said, his eyes shining with fear. "I can't afford to get fired right now. No one else is going to hire me. Please — I need this job."

Yuugi's heart was in pieces. It ached and it shuddered, cold and miserable in the face of Atemu's dilemma. Though he was beyond confused, he fully believed Atemu. Yuugi had utter faith in his integrity. As such, he wanted to complain. He wanted to run out of the office and straight to the top floor to yell Siegfried's head off and demand why. But as he looked at Atemu's strained expression, he forced himself to stay.

Atemu's livelihood was at stake, and he would not risk it. Not for anything. Not for the acidic hate he had for Siegfried boiling away in his stomach.

How could he do this to Atemu? Yuugi wondered.

"I'll help you," Yuugi said instead, and Atemu faltered, his hand dropping from Yuugi's bicep. "Until the end of the month?" he said, and he scoffed in disbelief. "You're the best architect here, but not even you can do that." Yuugi shook his head. "I will help you," he said. "And we'll figure out this thing with Siegfried later." He grimaced. "I can't believe him," he said. "I can't believe he would do this to you."

Atemu merely shrugged. Having gone through this several times before had only numbed him to the injustice of it all.

"Are you sure?" Atemu asked, and Yuugi nodded at him. "Alright," he said. "Normally, I wouldn't accept, but I'm in deep shit this time. I can't afford to turn away your help."

Knowing how proud Atemu was only made Yuugi's heart despair even more. Had it been any other situation, Atemu would not have accepted his help. The fact that he had only drove in the reality of his situation.

"But first," Yuugi said, "let's get you home. You need food and a refreshing shower before we get to work."

Atemu assented with a nod, too tired to even argue.

x x x

At Atemu's studio apartment, after Atemu ate and showered, they got to work.

Yuugi thought he would be nervous. Alone and in close quarters was a recipe for sexual tension, or so he had been led to believe by Hollywood. But Atemu was hyper-focused on his work, and with the looming deadline, Yuugi as well. They worked together, planning the 70-story skyscraper for KaibaCorp with Yuugi reminding Atemu to eat, sleep, shower, and even go to the bathroom once in a while. It was hectic, and it left no time for Yuugi to fumble with his fragile feelings. They worked at the company by day and, by night, they retreated to Atemu's apartment to continue it, Yuugi sleeping over on Atemu's floor several times when he had been too exhausted to go home.

The fact that Siegfried never questioned what he was doing should have been odd to Yuugi, as he had a few pending projects, but there was no time to think on it.

Lucky for them, they completed the tall model just in time, and Yuugi gave Atemu a thumbs up just outside the office where Siegfried waited for Atemu's presentation.

"Good luck," he whispered, and Atemu smiled warmly at him, shifting the large model in his hands

"Thank you," Atemu replied, his words heavy with meaning. Briefly, he glanced at the door to Siegfried's office and gestured towards it. "Are you sure you don't want to come in with me. You did half of this. You deserve the credit and half the commission —"

Before he could go on, Yuugi waved him down and shook his head.

"We've been through this," Yuugi said. "Several times."

Atemu sighed.

"Alright," Atemu said. He gulped. "Here goes." He made to open the door, and Yuugi suddenly squeaked, holding out the custom leather-bound folder in his hands.

"Don't forget this," Yuugi whispered, and he pulled out a USB drive from his pocket. "And this." He opened the folder and tucked it into the inner pocket before handing it over.

"Thanks," Atemu said, taking them. Their hands brushed and Yuugi's stomach flipped, his nerves turning to butterflies.

Atemu looked handsome as always, dressed in black slacks, a white shirt, and a maroon vest. Unlike the past few days, Atemu had shaved, combed his hair, and brushed his teeth. He was exquisite. The sight of him gave Yuugi the grand need to fan himself.

Though if Yuugi were honest, it did not matter what Atemu wore or whether or not he had shaved. He was a handsome man through and through, and Yuugi was a goner for him in any form he took.

A goofy smile stretched his lips, and Atemu was gone, leaving Yuugi outside, body tingling.

x x x

"You're late."

Though the words grinded at him, Hardening himself into solemn indifference. He approached the table on the far side of the room, setting the model on the glass and slipping the folder from underneath.

"Alright, let's see what we have here," Siegfried sighed, his distaste obvious, and Atemu clenched his jaw.

Siegfried was a tall man with long magenta hair and cold green eyes. He wore a fitted, emerald-green suit with a ruffled button-up underneath. Atemu had always thought him more suited for the stage than the head of an architectural company.

A disbelieving scoff left Siegfried's thin lips, and Atemu tensed.

"What's this?" Siegfried asked, and Atemu looked at him, his gut curling with hate at the sneer on his face. "Don't tell me this is what you have to present to Seto Kaiba?"

"I worked on it all month," Atemu said slowly, keeping his voice carefully level, "night and day."

"This?" Siegfried retorted, taking a pen from his inside pocket and nudging the tower. It tilted dangerously, and Atemu grabbed it, straightening it. "You're joking," Siegfried said, and Atemu mutely opened the folder, turning the cover page and revealing mockups of the inside of the building.

It took all his concentration to keep his hands from shaking.

"If you look here," Atemu said, "you'll find that there's no wasted space. It's grand like Mr. Kaiba asked, but also practical —"

"Let me stop you right there," Siegfried said, waving his pen at him. "This," he said, and he nudged the model off the table with his pen, letting it crash to the floor where it broke into pieces, "is garbage."

Atemu stared at the broken model, hardly daring to believe his eyes.

Yuugi and he had worked so hard on that model, building it piece by carefully printed and painted piece.

"Seto Kaiba is the richest man in the world, and you," Siegfried hissed, "bring me garbage!"

"If I had some more time," Atemu found himself speaking, but he was on autopilot. He was not even registering the words that left him. "Like I mentioned before, I'm sure I could —"

"But you don't," Siegfried said, "have time." He glared at Atemu, mouth twisting itself into an ugly sneer. "You're fresh out of time," he said, "and now I will have to clean up your mess." He scoffed. "You were supposed to be the best, that's why I hired you — the top of your class?" He scoffed. "You're done here. You're off the project. I'll have to find someone else to salvage this."

"I'll do better next time," Atemu said as Siegfried turned away from him, but it was as if he had floated out of his body and was watching a robot that looked exactly like him speaking, expressionless and dead-eyed.

Siegfried paused.

Turning, he leveled a bemused look on Atemu and smiled, shaking his head as if Atemu had told him a grudgingly amusing joke.

"Next time?" Siegfried laughed. "Oh, no. No, no-no-no-no. No." He waved his pen side to side and pointed it at him with a sneer. "You're fired, Muuran. Go pack your things, and get the hell out of my building."

Atemu crashed back into his body, the jolt nearly giving him whiplash. He gaped at Siegfried, but Siegfried was already walking away from him.

"Mr. von Schroeder," he said, "wait —"

"Get out before I call security," Siegfried calmly said, and he returned to his seat, pressing the intercom with the tip of the pen as he did so.

"Cortez, send up the janitor, and then get me Yuugi Mutou."

"Yes, sir," the voice answered, and Siegfried looked at him.

"You're still here?" he said, and Atemu felt his entire being tremble with rage.

But before he could do anything about it, the realization that he had just lost his job tackled him like a linebacker, his breath leaving him along with his will.

Turning, Atemu left the office, grateful when he did not see Yuugi anywhere. The secretary stopped talking, and Atemu looked at her. Her hand tentatively covered the mic of her headset, and she was looking at him.

Atemu recoiled at the pity in her gaze.

He left before she could say anything.

x x x

Smiling to himself, Yuugi walked up to Siegfried's office in excitement. He had been on the phone with a client when he had been summoned, but that mattered little.

Siegfried had always been lenient, and he would not mind waiting.

A big project, Yuugi thought with a thrill, he's giving me a big project!

"He's waiting," said Julia Cortez, Siegfried's secretary, as soon as she saw him, waving him on.

Nodding to her, Yuugi made his way into Siegfried's office, spotting the man behind his desk.

"Ah, Yuugi," Siegfried said, standing from his chair and smiling warmly as Yuugi paused on the other side of the oak wood.

He spotted an extremely familiar folder there, and Yuugi knew it was Atemu's. He recognized the small, engraved initials at the bottom, and his heart warmed. Glancing around, however, he did not spot the model.

"Just who I wanted to see," Siegfried said, distracting Yuugi as he rounded the desk, buttoning his jacket as he went. "Amazing job with the Helsinki account. I loved it so much, I'm giving you an even bigger project. Nail this one and you might just make partner." He winked, and Yuugi's eyes widened.

"Partner?" Yuugi said, hardly believing his ears as Siegfried approached him.

"That's right," Siegfried said, standing close to him and leaning against the desk. "You'll get a considerable pay raise, a better parking space, and" — he pointed at Yuugi with a grin — "your own division to manage."

Yuugi's heart skipped a beat.

"Seriously?" Yuugi said, eyes wide. "I accept!" He was quick to compose himself, calmly asking, "What's the job?"

"You know Seto Kaiba?" Siegfried asked, and Yuugi's heart filled with unease at the name. He glanced at Atemu's folder.

"From KaibaCorp?" he whispered, and his stomach clenched.

"The very same," Siegfried said. "He wants us to build him a skyscraper —"

"But that account belongs to Ate — Mr. Muuran," Yuugi said, his brow creasing as he met Siegfried's intent gaze. His heart beat faster, and his hands clenched at his sides.

"Not anymore," Siegfried said coldly. "You can't turn in sub-par garbage and expect to keep such a large project."

"'Subpar'?" Yuugi echoed, and an indignant flare of anger worked its way up his esophagus to burn in his throat. He fought to keep his cool. "He worked on it all month. He skipped meals to make sure it was perfect!"

"It was half-assed at best," Siegfried said dismissively, and Yuugi was taken aback by his cold indifference. It was a side of Siegfried Yuugi had never before seen. "If he couldn't do a good job in that amount of time, he shouldn't have given himself such a short deadline." Siegfried smiled, but Yuugi felt cold looking at it. "I do not accept poor work," he said.

"Then you won't accept mine either," Yuugi said, expression hard and stomach writhing. He was incensed and filled with disillusionment. He had not known Siegfried could be so callous or such a blatant liar.

"What are you talking about?" Siegfried said, his smile faltering.

"I helped him with the Kaiba account," Yuugi said tightly. "That 'half-assed, sub-par garbage' was half mine."

Siegfried faltered, his eyes narrowing.

"You helped him," Siegfried said, and he said nothing more.

Yuugi guessed he did not know how to bail himself out of the situation. And his lack of excuses only strengthened his anger.

"I'm giving you my two weeks notice," Yuugi said firmly. "I'll finish the projects I have now and then I'm no longer working for you —"

"Yuugi, please," Siegfried said, his tone turning saccharine sweet, "that work will not meet Seto Kaiba's expectations. He's a Japanese man with typical Japanese tastes. Like yourself. If we try again, I'm certain you'll get it right without Muuran mucking it up like everything else he puts his filthy hands on —"

And it suddenly clicked.

Yuugi understood. And he was furious.

"I will not work for a company who discriminates against their employees," Yuugi declared, and he took a deep breath before he reached over and boldly grabbed Atemu's folder. Siegfried's eyes narrowed on it. "Since our work is such low quality, I'm taking this," Yuugi said, and he saw Siegfried's jaw clench. "Please process my resignation in two weeks time."

With that, Yuugi left the office, not stopping until he had closed the door behind him. Only then did Yuugi waver, his legs feeling like jelly.

"Holy cheese," he whispered to himself, pressing a hand to his forehead. "What a rush."

He made to leave, when he spotted the janitorial cart sitting idly by the wall, a very familiar, albeit broken, model stuffed inside.

Heart aching, Yuugi walked over to it, devastated at seeing his and Atemu's hard work thrown so carelessly into the trash. Gritting his teeth, Yuugi dug it out, finding all its pieces with a fresh twist to his already knotted stomach. He cradled it all against him, turning to see Julia smiling softly at him. Nodding at her, he left.

Yuugi arrived at Atemu's office in no time, only to find the door open and the room empty of Atemu's belongings.

Eyes wide, Yuugi's hands clenched and he retreated to his own office. He carefully moved his drawing tablet from the center of his desk, setting it aside and placing the model in its place before he began searching for his emergency glue. When he found it, he grabbed his phone. Dialing, he placed the phone between his shoulder and ear, holding it there as he began to superglue the tower back together.

Atemu picked up on the third ring.

"I'm guessing you know by now," Atemu greeted, and Yuugi frowned at the defeated sound of his voice.

"Where are you?" Yuugi asked.

"Still in the lobby," Atemu said with a sigh. "They're processing me and making sure I didn't steal anything."

"Wait there," Yuugi ordered, and hung up, not giving him a chance to object.

As quick as he could, Yuugi glued the model together, grateful it had broken into large, easily glued pieces. When he finished, he pressed it firmly to make sure the pieces stuck and then gathered everything into his arms before rushing out the door.

The elevator ride down had Yuugi's heart racing. He hoped Atemu had not left yet. When the elevator doors opened, his heart jumped into his throat. Atemu stood across the lobby, past the security desk with a box of his belongings and tubes of his projects in his arms. Two more boxes lay at his feet. He was looking straight at Yuugi, his gaze warm and welcoming as always.

"Yes, I'm here."

The voice jerked Yuugi out of his daze and he turned his head to see a tall, brunette man walk into the elevator, his earpiece glowing a bright blue.

"I'm getting into an elevator," he was saying. "He said he'd have a mockup ready by today. I'll try to be home soon — yes, I'll bring donuts, Katsuya, don't worry. I've got to go — I as well, goodbye." He pressed the button on his earpiece before removing it completely. He folded it, and Yuugi finally noticed the practically invisible lens attached to it. His eyebrows rose, impressed, and the man tucked the device into his inside pocket. He looked at Yuugi then, his blue eyes zeroing in on the model in his hands, steadying on the KaibaCorp logo emblazoned onto it.

Unwittingly, Yuugi stood a little straighter.

"You must be the architect in charge of my building," he said, and Yuugi's eyes widened. Seto Kaiba reached out a hand, keeping the doors from closing. "Were you getting off?"

Yuugi looked out to the lobby, to Atemu's confused expression, and mouthed "wait for me" before fully turning to Seto.

"No," Yuugi said. "You, Mr. Kaiba, are just the person I wanted to see."

"Very well," Seto said, and he let the doors slide closed, pressing the button for the top floor.

"Yuugi Mutou," Yuugi introduced himself as the elevator began to climb, and Seto shook his hand when he offered it.

"It looks a bit … glued together," Seto said, his sharp, blue eyes roving over every inch of the model, and Yuugi looked down at his hasty work. He frowned as the image of the plastic building in the garbage shot to the forefront of his mind. He did not know how it had gotten there, if it had been Atemu who had tossed it.

His stomach churned at the thought.

We worked too hard on this, Yuugi thought. Atemu wouldn't have done that. He looked up at Seto, carefully clearing his expression.

"There was an accident," he said, "but I promise you, it's exactly what you're looking for."

"Is it," Seto said, but it did not sound like a question.

"It's extravagant," Yuugi said, "visually stunning both inside and out."

Seto raised an eyebrow, but said nothing as Yuugi raised the model for him to see.

"Now, I bet you're thinking 'a pretty building is great, but not everything I'm looking for'," Yuugi said. "But you'd be wrong. Because this is exactly what you're looking for. Not only is it beautiful to look at, if you ignore these cracks, but the inside doesn't waste an inch!" He handed the model to Seto, his hands shaking as he opened the folder. Yuugi slowly turned the pages within and showed him the mockups of the inside of the building.

"See here," Yuugi said, "it's practical about the space it uses, allowing you to do as you see fit. The lobby is large enough so that you can fit in the dragon fountain you asked for. Here's an example of that fountain." He pointed to an elaborate fountain Atemu had drawn, a metal dragon rising from the middle and poised to take flight with spread wings. Water cascaded out of its jaw, beautiful and attention-grabbing. Seto leaned in closer to look, and Yuugi saw a brief twinkling in his eyes before he moved away, stone once more. Yuugi held up the USB drive. "In the 3D rendering, you can explore the inside. It's a bit rough, but it gives you a good idea of what it would look like —"

Seto took the USB and pulled out his earpiece, plugging it into the back. Unfolding it, he placed it over his ear and it instantly lit up in blue. Seto pulled out his phone next, tapping at it as he stared at thin air.

Yuugi stared at him, peering in to see that the glass over his eye actually held an image. Mouth falling open, Yuugi stared in awe as he saw Seto explore the model of his tower.

"You did this in a month?" Seto said, trading the model for the folder. He unplugged the USB before putting away the earpiece and looked down at the beautiful images he and Atemu had painstakingly drawn and colored, flipping through them with care.

"I assisted," Yuugi said, and Seto looked at him.

"Then where is my architect?" he asked as he handed the folder back to Yuugi. His expression gave nothing away, but Yuugi had a good feeling bubbling in his stomach.

"In the lobby," Yuugi said. "He was fired with the excuse that this was not enough with only a month to complete the project."

"What was the actual reason?" Seto asked.

"Discrimination against the color of his skin," Yuugi said, and Seto frowned.

"Do you have proof?" Seto asked.

"Only my word on what was said to me in the way it was said to me," Yuugi said.

Seto nodded, but it was unclear whether he believed Yuugi's words.

"This architect," he said, "do you think he could improve on this if he had the time and resources?"

"Without a doubt," Yuugi readily answered.

The elevator dinged, and the doors slid open. Seto stepped out and nodded to him.

"There's something I must attend to first," he said. "Hold the elevator."

He left, white coat billowing behind him, and Yuugi waited by the elevator, his foot holding the door open and his skin tingling all over.

"Oh, man," he said, patting his chest once Seto had gone. "That was intense." He waited only a short while before Seto came floating back to the elevator, stepping in beside him.

"Take me to my architect," he said, and Yuugi could barely hide his grin as he pressed the button for the lobby.

x x x

The ride down was nerve-wracking in its silence, but Yuugi held it together until they reached the bottom. The doors opened, and Yuugi stepped out, dread in his stomach when he did not immediately see Atemu among the throng of people going about their business. For a moment, he feared that Atemu had left, but then he saw him sitting in a chair at the coffee shop, his boxes before him and a coffee in his hand.

Yuugi wanted to run to him.

Straight into his arms, preferably.

Turning, he motioned to Seto.

"This way," he said, and he started walking, careful to keep his pace neutral.

Atemu spotted him when he had gone but halfway, and he smiled at the sight of Yuugi. The butterflies in Yuugi's stomach took off in a flurry, and he wanted nothing more than to feel that gorgeous smile against his lips.

However, Yuugi held himself in one piece and calmly made his way to Atemu, jumping when Seto stopped beside him. He had been so entranced with Atemu that he had forgotten Seto Kaiba was with him.

Atemu stood, looking from him to Seto with some confusion.

"Atemu Muuran," Atemu said without missing a beat, and he held out his hand for Seto to shake.

"Seto Kaiba," he said, accepting Atemu's hand, and Atemu's eyes widened as he looked to Yuugi. "So you're my architect."

"I am?" Atemu said dumbly before it dawned on him and he nodded, sobering. "Yes, I was the person in charge of your building." He looked to Yuugi briefly. "Yuugi Mutou and I worked on your account together. He did half the work."

"Half?" Seto said, turning eyes on Yuugi who blushed. "He told me he only assisted."

"Most times," Atemu said, and Yuugi looked at him, noting the amused smile at the edge of his lips. "Mr. Mutou is too modest for his own good."

Yuugi wanted to kiss him.

"I would like both of you to build my skyscraper," Seto said, and both Atemu and Yuugi looked at him in stunned silence. "I'm impressed by what you've produced in a month. I've been to many architectural companies, and you two are the only ones who have made an impression. I would like you to make some improvements and submit another draft. I understand that you've been fired. This is not a problem. I will provide you with anything you need to get it done."

"Of course," Atemu said, poised as ever, but Yuugi felt like he had been swept off his feet, his heart thudding with excitement.

"Now let's move this to a better location," Seto said, pulling his earpiece from his pocket. "Shall we?" He slid it on and it instantly lit up. Moving aside, he spoke lowly before removing the device and placing it back into his pocket. He stepped back to them. "I've called my driver. Shall we get going?"

"I'm actually still on the clock, but I could take an early lunch break," Yuugi said. "I'm sure it won't make a difference anyway." They both looked at him. "I quit," Yuugi explained to Atemu with a wry smile, "I gave Siegfried my two weeks notice."

"You quit?" Atemu breathed. "Why?"

"Siegfried insulted my work," Yuugi said. "Anyway, it's not going to be as fun here without you."

"You quit because he insulted your work?" Atemu said dubiously, and Seto sighed.

"I hate to butt into your business," he said, and the reluctance on his expression told volumes of truth. "I really do, but it pains me to watch this and the sooner I go home to my husband, the better for everyone involved." Bluntly, he stated, "Mr. Mutou quit because your ex-boss is a racist asshole."

Atemu stared at Seto before looking at Yuugi.

"How did you find out?" he asked. "Did Schroeder say something to you?" And Yuugi opened his mouth, but Seto cut in once more.

"Perhaps you could have this discussion in private and not in the lobby of the company that treated you unfairly," Seto said, motioning to the busy lobby, and Atemu nodded.

"Right, uh, let's go," he said, motioning to the doors. "After you, Mr. Kaiba." He stacked two of his boxes, but Yuugi placed the folder and model on the third and took it with a smile. "Thank you," Atemu murmured.

The three men exited the building, quickly arranging their meeting place before Seto climbed into his car.

"We'll see you there, Mr. Kaiba," Atemu said, closing the car door behind him. He moved back to Yuugi's side, the boxes at their feet.

The car pulled away from the curb and had not even fully merged into traffic when Yuugi could no longer contain himself. Turning to Atemu with a large grin, Yuugi hugged him without warning, squeezing tightly in his excitement. Atemu startled at his touch, freezing up before he looked down at Yuugi in bewilderment.

"Congratulations!" Yuugi shouted before abruptly letting go and moving an arm's length away. He blushed to the tips of his ears, sheepishly looking at the ground. "Sorry, I got too excited," he said. He peered up at Atemu, trying to gauge his reaction.

Atemu was looking at him with that same indulging smile and soft gaze he always seemed to have when Yuugi's quirks acted up. If Yuugi had any hopes as to Atemu's feelings, he would have called it affection.

"You got the job," Yuugi said, his heart swelling with pride. "I knew you could do it."

"We got the job," Atemu corrected. "We did it." He cleared his throat, frowning to himself before he took a breath. "I have been planning, for some time now, to start up my own company," he said. "I've been saving, and I was going to use the commission from this project to finally get that started." He gazed at Yuugi carefully, hesitating. "You quit your job here, and I'm sure you'll get better offers, but I wanted to ask — just in case you were even a little bit interested — I wanted —"

"Yes!" Yuugi blurted out before he clapped a hand over his mouth. "Sorry," he said, removing it. "I didn't even let you finish. Were you offering me a job?"

A befuddled smile crossed Atemu's lips and he shook his head.

Yuugi wilted, his stomach roiling with disappointment.

"Oh," Yuugi said, an embarrassed blush spreading over his nose.

"I'm offering you a partnership," Atemu said, and Yuugi's eyes shot open to the extent of their width. He stared at Atemu in shock, dumbstruck by his words. A few seconds passed, and a worried crease formed in Atemu's brow. "Yuugi?"

"A partnership?" Yuugi breathed, and Atemu nodded.

"I realize this is a risky venture, and you'll need some time to think about it," Atemu began to say. "I respect you a lot as a fellow architect. You make sound decisions even when the pressure is on. I believe we would make a great team — we do make a great team." But Yuugi was already furiously shaking his head.

Atemu paused, brow furrowing.

"I accept," Yuugi said.

Atemu stared at him.

"You accept?" he said. "You haven't even seen my business plan. It's going to take time and some investment. It's going to need a lot of consideration. We might not get started until Mr. Kaiba's building is finished —"

"I accept," Yuugi repeated, his voice firmer, and Atemu stopped talking, blinking at Yuugi in surprise. "I know it'll be tough. I know it will require sacrifices. I know it's risky and we could lose a lot of money — I understand what you're asking of me." Yet despite the gravity of his words, Yuugi smiled. "And I accept," he said. "I'm all in. I want to create a business with you."

For several seconds, Atemu struggled to come to terms with Yuugi's decision as though he had not expected such strong consent. When he finally had some grasp of the concept that he would not have to further convince Yuugi, he nodded.

"Alright," he said. "We'll have to talk more. I have to show you my business plan and — and Mr. Kaiba!" Atemu looked in the direction Seto Kaiba had gone. "We have a meeting. We can't be late."

He looked to Yuugi in panic, but Yuugi merely picked up the boxes and pressed them into his arms. Atemu took them numbly, and Yuugi took the third, tucking it against him with one arm as he grabbed the elbow of Atemu's shirt and began to lead him towards the parking lot.

"Come on then," Yuugi said, letting go just as quickly when Atemu regained his sense of direction.

As they walked, Yuugi felt warm and content, his heart full and beating strongly. Seto's job would be large and daunting, but Yuugi was not worried. When he was with Atemu, everything felt manageable. Atemu made him feel calm and in control of his surroundings. His presence was a sturdy pillar of support that encouraged Yuugi to keep doing his best.

At Atemu's side, Yuugi felt certain of what lay ahead and he did not worry about anything that could go wrong. Because with Atemu by his side, Yuugi knew that everything would be okay.

"You really quit because of me?" Atemu said, and Yuugi glanced at him, noting the curiosity in his eyes.

"Not necessarily," Yuugi said. "I quit because I refuse to work for someone who discriminates against their employees." He paused, lips pursing. "I didn't know you were being treated so unfairly," Yuugi said quietly. "I'm sorry. I wish you'd told me."

Atemu was silent, and they made it to their cars before he spoke again.

"What would that have accomplished?" Atemu asked, and Yuugi halted, turning to him in confusion. "There's nothing you could have done and I wasn't exactly keen on having everyone know about it."

"I don't know that I could have fixed anything," Yuugi said, "but I could have tried. At the very least, I would have been there for you. It's not right that you should have to deal with ignorance."

"And we'd likely still be jobless," Atemu said. "I don't have the time or money to raise a stink because my boss made work miserable for me —"

"By being a racist prick," Yuugi input with a grimace, and Atemu shrugged.

"If I had done anything, he would have easily crushed me," Atemu said plainly. "I was just going to deal with it until I could leave and build my own company." He huffed a laugh, shaking his head. "And I probably would have if things hadn't gone the way they had." He grimaced. "In retrospect, I'm relieved I don't have to work for that asshole in that horrible, tiny office anymore."

"I'm still furious," Yuugi said, but his anger felt useless.

They arrived at their vehicles, parked side by side, and Atemu halted Yuugi with a touch to his elbow. He put down the boxes on the trunk of his car, and Yuugi copied him.

"I as well," Atemu said solemnly. "But I have better things to do now, and so do you. You still have two weeks left under him." He paused, expression growing dark and serious. "Be careful," Atemu said. "He won't be happy about your quitting, or kind."

"I can handle him," Yuugi said. "But, um, we should probably get to the restaurant." He motioned to their vehicles.

"Of course," Atemu said, he was already turning away, when he paused, looking back to Yuugi. "Thank you," he said, earnestly, "for helping me with the project and for always standing by me. You've been an invaluable friend to me and I'm grateful for it." He shifted on his feet, unsure as he held up his hands in question. "I'm not sure if a hug would be entirely inappropriate —"

Yuugi threw his arms around Atemu before he could finish, wrapping him up and gripping him tightly. Not knowing when he would have another chance, Yuugi poured all the love and yearning he held in his heart into the embrace, his hands desperately clinging to Atemu's back. His chest was tight, his heart beating rapidly, and his stomach twisted itself into knots.

Atemu was warm in his arms and so tangible. So real. He felt Atemu return the embrace, his hand patting him kindly on the back, each pat a stab in Yuugi's heart. He pulled away far too soon and smiled at Yuugi as a melancholic weight settled on Yuugi's heart.

Atemu was generous, warm, strong, and absolutely perfect.

But he was not Yuugi's.

"We should go," Yuugi said.

His throat felt tight and there was a burning behind his eyes.

Atemu nodded. He pulled out his keys and unlocked his car, placing the boxes in the backseat with Yuugi's help. When he was done, he closed the door and looked at Yuugi, gratitude on his face.

"Thank you," he said.

"You're welcome," Yuugi replied, eyes unable to look away from Atemu's kind expression. He watched as Atemu slowly began walking backwards before he turned and rounded his car to the driver's side, unlocking the door. Yuugi copied him, opening his door and briefly turning to look. He faltered, hand on the metal frame, and he stilled.

Atemu was looking back at him, gazing at him with those lovely, warm eyes. Heart skipping a beat, Yuugi struggled to draw breath, and Atemu smiled. It was small, barely a flicker on his lips, but it was a smile that struck Yuugi like a freight train, leaving him deceased.

Returning the smile, he watched Atemu climb into his car, and close the door. Yuugi's heart thudded in his chest and he forced himself to do the same, his hands shaking as he reached out to grip the steering wheel. He heard Atemu turn on his car, and peered over at the dark windows that hid Atemu from his sight. He swallowed uncomfortably, his throat dry. Atemu's car drove away, and once Yuugi was sure he was out of sight, he collapsed against the steering wheel, breathing harshly.

"Holy heck," Yuugi said, "what was that?" He squeaked against the wheel, shaking it, and thumping his forehead on it. The horn sounded, and Yuugi jumped, eyes wide before he was quickly reminded of the meeting. The one with Seto Kaiba. The one where Atemu and Yuugi were a team taking on their first job.

He grinned excitedly and turned on his car, ecstatic to begin.

x x x

"You ready?" Atemu murmured as they walked into the restaurant. His voice was a pleasant rumble in his ear and Yuugi savored it with relish, goosebumps erupting along his neck.

How he wished Atemu would say that to him in a vastly different context. He took in a shaky breath at the thought and vanished it from his mind. There were more important matters at hand.

"I'm ready," Yuugi said as they walked up to the hostess.

"Good morning and welcome," the hostess greeted. "Do you have a reservation?"

"Good morning," Atemu said. "We have a table for three under the name Seto Kaiba."

"Of course," the hostess said. "Mr. Kaiba and Mr. Jounouchi are already waiting on the veranda. Right this way, gentlemen." She turned to lead them, and Atemu and Yuugi looked at each other.

"Mr. Jounouchi?" Atemu whispered, his brow creased in confusion. "His lawyer, maybe an accountant? A contractor?"

"I dunno," Yuugi murmured back as they followed the woman in the white dress. "But the name sounds really familiar to me," he said. "I feel like I've heard it before."

They were led through the restaurant, away from the other diners and to a balcony with lush greenery surrounding the tables there, creating secluded areas for each party. Above their heads, large canvas umbrellas hung, seemingly from nothing, to keep the sun from their heads.

The hostess stopped next to a table, motioning to their chairs, and both Yuugi and Atemu faltered at the sight of the blonde man in a white, graphic tee and blue jeans sitting next to Seto Kaiba. He was extremely under-dressed, but he stood upon seeing them and grinned wide. Beside him, Seto Kaiba also stood.

"Mr. Muuran, Mr. Mutou," Seto greeted with a nod of his head. "This is my husband, Katsuya Jounouchi." He placed a hand on the back of Katsuya's shoulder and indicated each of them in turn. "Katsuya, this is Mr. Muuran, and this is Mr. Mutou. They will be my architects."

"Jounouchi?" Yuugi suddenly blurted, and Katsuya looked at him closely, brown eyes widening.

"Yuugi Mutou?" he returned, and Yuugi smiled.

"Yes!"

"Dude!"

Abruptly, Katsuya rushed over and wrapped Yuugi into a hug.

"I knew your name sounded familiar!" Yuugi said.

"You grew so much, man!" Katsuya said, pulling back. "How ya been?"

"Well, I got into architecture like you said I would," Yuugi said with a laugh, and Katsuya joined him before looking to a confused Seto.

"Seto, you hired my best friend from middle school?" he said incredulously. "Did you do that on purpose?"

"Yes," Seto deadpanned, and it was impossible for either Atemu or Yuugi to tell whether he was joking or not. But it was no mystery to Katsuya who laughed and shook his head.

"Yeah, I thought you didn't," he said, before grabbing Yuugi's shoulder. "This is Yuugi Mutou — you remember when I said there was this one kid who got me out of joining a gang? This is him!"

It was then that Seto looked at Yuugi, his blue eyes piercing. He bowed his head.

"Thank you for that," Seto said, and Yuugi blushed.

"I didn't really do much," Yuugi mumbled, embarrassed.

"Dude, you let them pummel you until they left me alone," Katsuya said, and he hugged Yuugi again. "You were my best friend — do you have any idea how heartbroken I was when you moved away? I couldn't even write to you!"

"I gave you my new address!" Yuugi said, exasperated.

"I lost it!" Katsuya whined.

"Uh, Yuugi?"

Abruptly the two paused and looked at a confused Atemu, and Yuugi's blush spread to his ears.

"Oh, right," Yuugi said, and he cleared his throat. Moving over to Atemu, he placed an indicating hand on his bicep. "This is Atemu Muuran," Yuugi said, and he could not keep the pride from his voice as much as he tried.

Look at him, Katsuya, Yuugi thought. Isn't he wonderful?

Clearing his throat, Yuugi motioned to the table. "We should sit."

"Right, yeah," Katsuya said, reaching back to scratch at the back of his head. He looked to Seto. "Sorry." And he shook Atemu's hand before moving back to his seat.

"You're excited to see your long lost friend," Seto said as they sat. "It's alright."

They settled in, and Katsuya looked between them, a tiny crease forming in his brow. He pointed between them.

"How long have you two been together?" he asked.

"Oh," Yuugi uttered in immediate embarrassment, ducking his head.

I wish, he thought.

He peered at Atemu who continued to smile.

"We're not together —"

"Three years," Atemu said, and Yuugi's gaze shot to him in surprise, a blush flaring across his cheeks.

Atemu glanced at him and blinked before he laughed, the sound punching Yuugi in the gut.

"I'm terribly sorry, I think I misunderstood," Atemu said. "We've been working at the same company for three years. We're not romantically involved."

"Oh, that's my fault," Katsuya said, waving his hands. "I thought I felt a vibe between you. Sorry. Seto keeps telling me to stop assuming things."

"And you can see why," Seto said, though there was a fond look in his eye when he looked at Katsuya.

"It's quite alright," Atemu said kindly. "One would count themselves lucky to call Yuugi Mutou their significant other" — Yuugi's heart skipped a beat and his eyes widened as he looked at Atemu — "but no, we're just colleagues and friends." Atemu turned his head and smiled softly at Yuugi who could only offer a frozen smile in turn as his insides had turned into a Cirque du Soleil act.

Forcibly ripping his gaze away, Yuugi tried to focus on anything and everything that was not Atemu's handsome face. His heart was stuck in his throat and he tried to gulp it down, but it seemed to be permanently glued to the top of his esophagus. It was then that Yuugi realized they were the only diners on the veranda.

"Seems to be quite empty today," Atemu remarked, noticing Yuugi's confusion.

"That's our fault," Katsuya said. "Hubby doesn't like to eat in front of everyone, so we bought the whole veranda out."

"Oh," Yuugi said, unsure of what to reply. He felt hollow, like his very soul had vacated his body. Atemu's compliment had hit him unexpectedly hard. Under the table, he gripped at his knees, attempting to ground himself and bring his soul back to earth.

"Well then," Seto said, said, drawing their attention just as Yuugi found a way to breathe again. "Shall we order?"

x x x

Leaving the restaurant, Atemu and Yuugi shook hands with Seto and Katsuya, ready to depart.

"We will get started on that mockup," Atemu promised, and Yuugi smiled.

"Yes, right away," he added, and Seto nodded.

"You have time," Seto said. "I look forward to your best work."

"Yeah, I'll probably drop in now and then to see how that's going," Katsuya said, all business, and Seto scoffed softly.

"If you want to see your friend, you can go see your friend," Seto said, and Katsuya grinned at him.

"You still play video games, Jou?" Yuugi asked, and Katsuya pointed two finger guns at him.

"You kidding me?" he said. "I'm a game tester in Seto's company!"

"You said you worked at KaibaCorp, but you didn't mention that!" Yuugi burst out, scandalized. "That's amazing!"

"He's the best," Seto said flatly, and Katsuya nudged him with his shoulder.

"Flatterer," he said affectionately. He turned to Yuugi. "I'll see you tomorrow for lunch then? In a less high-scale place? We'll text."

"Of course!" Yuugi said cheerily, and they said their final goodbyes before departing.

Atemu moved to Yuugi's side, opening his mouth to speak, when they heard the couple begin to talk.

"You said you liked this place," Seto murmured, and Katsuya looked at him with a grimace as they walked.

"I do, but I don't want to eat here all the time," Katsuya said. "Just when I feel fancy, and I don't really feel fancy today."

"Alright," Seto said, and he placed an arm around Katsuya, leading them towards their car.

Atemu turned to Yuugi.

"He seems nice," Atemu said, and Yuugi nodded.

"Jounouchi was my first real friend," Yuugi said and a warm smile spread his lips. He gazed after Katsuya and sighed nostalgically. "He always had my back."

"I'm glad you had such a good friend," Atemu said, and he motioned to the parking lot. "Shall we?"

"Let's," Yuugi said with a nod, and they walked in the opposite direction to their own cars. They were parked head to head, and Atemu paused by Yuugi's car, clearing his throat.

"We should get started as soon as possible," Atemu said, and Yuugi nodded, hand playing with his keys.

"Well, I have to head back there right now," Yuugi said with a sigh, "but I could meet you at yours afterwards."

"Sure," Atemu agreed. "Sounds like a plan. Do you mind if I get a head start?"

"That's alright with me," Yuugi said. "I know you're anxious to get started."

"Thank you," Atemu said, and he took half a step closer. His brow furrowed and he looked into Yuugi's eyes. "By the way," he said, "are you alright? You seemed uncomfortable earlier."

"Uncomfortable?" Yuugi echoed, his heart thudding in his chest. "Me?" He motioned to himself, laughing abruptly. "No — of course not. What gave —" Yuugi's brow creased in confusion — "wait what exactly are you talking about?"

Atemu shrugged.

"When your friend mistook us for boyfriends," Atemu said. "You seemed really uncomfortable then."

Oh.

Yuugi's breath hitched.

"O-oh," Yuugi faltered. He froze up, unsure of what to say. He could feel the familiar sting of a blush flowering over his cheeks. "That. I — uh." His hands clenched on his keys.

"You're uncomfortable again," Atemu said with regretful sigh. He took a step back. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up. I just wanted to explain that I didn't mean anything by what I said. About anyone being lucky to have you as a significant other. I hope I didn't make things awkward between us. I only meant that you're a great person and —"

"N-no, no!" Yuugi waved his hands at Atemu, the keys jangling with his movements. "No! Not at all! Oh, of course it's alright. I know you didn't mean anything by that. I feel the same way!" He motioned to Atemu, the word vomit building up behind his teeth. "Anyone would count themselves lucky to have you," Yuugi exclaimed. "You're amazing! You're passionate and dedicated, and kind, and thoughtful, and you're so handsome — you're perfect, honestly and I love y —" Yuugi finally caught himself, the blood draining from his face in mortification. "I mean," he quickly backtracked, "I like that! I like that you're so strong in your convictions and — this has been a bad month for you, but look at you! You persevered through it all and you still had so much patience for me —"

Atemu broke into chuckles, interrupting Yuugi's panic. He shook his head in amusement before granting Yuugi the softest smile he had ever seen.

Oh man, I love you, Yuugi thought, and a small, awed gasp escaped him before he could stop it, his heart seizing in his chest. He looked away, his face heating in shame, and he cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Thank you," Atemu said, and Yuugi raised his eyes, startled by the sincerity in his voice. "You're very kind to say those things, Yuugi."

"They're true," Yuugi breathed, his heart wrenching violently against his rib cage as though it would leap out at Atemu and merge with his. "I mean it, Atemu," Yuugi said, his voice threatening to waver, "you're an incredible man. Anyone would be so lucky…" He trailed off, his throat tightening painfully.

If I could be so lucky, he thought.

Atemu's expression changed before his eyes. His brow creased, first in confusion, and then in what seemed to be disbelief, his eyes narrowing on Yuugi.

"Yuugi," Atemu said, and suspicion entered his gaze.

Heart racing in his chest, Yuugi loudly cleared his throat, surprising Atemu. Clapping his hands to his sides, he smiled wide.

"I should be going," Yuugi declared lightly. "I've got projects to finish! The sooner, the better, right?" He quickly unlocked his car, grabbing the handle with a trembling hand.

"Right," Atemu said, thrown by the abruptness of Yuugi's departure. "Of course," he said as he stepped back. "Goodbye then. I'll see you tonight." He slowly turned, hesitating before he nodded at Yuugi and walked over to his car.

Yuugi froze.

Crap, Yuugi thought. I forgot I was going over tonight. He bit his lip and opened the door, cringing as he slid inside and shut it behind him.

"Oh, crap," Yuugi whispered to himself as he started the car. He could not stop shaking. "Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap!" He watched Atemu's car pull out and leave.

"Crap," Yuugi said as he put it into gear and backed out of the parking space.

"Crap," he said as he drove to the exit.

"Crap," he said as he merged into traffic.

"Crap," he said as he came to a stop at a red light and the entire situation came crashing down on him.

He had revealed too much. He had said too much. Shown too much. Insinuated too much. He would have to meet Atemu at his apartment after work, except now Atemu was suspicious, and he was fucked.

"Crap," Yuugi said as the light turned green.

x x x

The end of the workday came all too soon, and Yuugi took a shaky breath in his chair, staring at the screen of his large tablet. Digital plans lay on the screen, almost complete. Saving his changes, Yuugi turned off the tablet and his laptop before tucking them into his leather satchel.

It was time to head for Atemu's apartment.

Yuugi had never felt so nervous in his life.

"What's the worst that can happen?" he asked aloud, and he winced. "He'll laugh at me." Shaking his head, Yuugi stood up and grabbed his jacket off the back of the chair. "No," he said, "that's not the worst thing." He slipped the jacket on and fixated the strap of his satchel across his chest. Exiting, Yuugi locked up his office and started for the elevator. His heart sank as he reached it and pressed the button to summon it.

The worst thing that could happen? he questioned himself. He'll be disgusted by me and never talk to me again.

He groaned anxiously.

"There goes my new job," he joked humorlessly as the elevator dinged and the doors opened. He sighed as he stepped forward, freezing when his eyes fell upon the singular occupant.

"Mr. Mutou," Siegfried von Schroeder greeted from within, his seafoam-green eyes sharp and narrowed. He stood aloof with one hand in his pant pocket. There was not a single crease in the velvet suit he wore.

A shudder scorched through Yuugi and he grit his teeth as he briefly considered waiting for another elevator.

"I don't bite," Siegfried said with a mocking smile, and Yuugi's stomach flopped over, nauseous.

He was not scared of Siegfried von Schroeder.

Purposely stepping inside, Yuugi stood an equal distance between Siegfried and the wall. The button for the lobby was already pressed, and Yuugi faced forward, intent on ignoring his soon-to-be-ex boss.

However, as soon as the doors closed, a chill raced down Yuugi's spine, and he became avidly aware of just how small the container around them was.

"I believe," Siegfried said after the elevator began to move, "that you may have gotten a wrong impression of me."

"How's that?" Yuugi asked. He summoned an image of Atemu, smiling that familiar, indulging smile. The one that never failed to make him weak in the knees. He felt a warmth embrace him, calming his quick heartbeat. Staring at the reflective surface of the elevator, Yuugi breathed easily, his shoulders steeling themselves. He would not waver.

"You said something quite puzzling earlier," Siegfried said, his voice smooth as a dancing snake. "I believe the word you used was 'discriminate'." He chuckled. "That's quite the heavy-handed accusation, Mr. Mutou. Wherever did you get that idea?"

Dread formed in the pit of Yuugi's stomach, and he looked at Siegfried, but the man was looking at his nails, inspecting them.

Thinking quickly, Yuugi reached into his pocket and surreptitiously pulled out his phone, unlocking it and swiping through the screens with one eye on Siegfried.

"Where?" Yuugi questioned, buying time as he found what he needed and tapped it.

"Where indeed," Siegfried said, and he dropped his hand to the side, turning his cold eyes to Yuugi. "Perhaps from Muuran? Was it he who spread these lies about me?" His jaw clenched imperceptibly. "Do you know what that is? It's defamation of character. I could sue him for that. Making you believe those lies so he wouldn't look bad for losing his job? It's despicable."

"Are they lies?" Yuugi said tensely. "You had some choice words yourself, Mr. von Shcroeder. You said you wished me to work on the Kaiba account alone without Mr. Muuran 'mucking it up like' — how did you put it? 'Everything else he puts his filthy hands on'? You said that, did you not?"

"Am I on trial here?" Siegfried said in amusement. "I might have said that, but it's not a lie. Muuran's work has been lacking."

"It's been lacking because you've been giving him impossible deadlines!" Yuugi defended. "Anyone's work would suffer! You've been unfair to him, and you stuck him in that" — Yuugi jabbed a hand in the general direction of what used to be Atemu's office — "in that shoe box of an office! It doesn't even have windows!"

"It was the one he chose," Siegfried said, and Yuugi knew it was a lie. He narrowed his eyes on Siegfried, incensed that he had treated Atemu so horribly. Incensed that he had never realized the position Atemu was in. Incensed that Atemu had had to put up with the treatment for fear that he would lose his job because Siegfried would have fired him on the spot if he had complained.

Atemu had been vulnerable, desperate to make a living. He had been an easy target for Siegfried to take advantage of, and it made Yuugi angrier that he had ever been in his life.

"How could you treat Atemu like that?" Yuugi hissed. "How many other employees have you treated like that? How many more are still suffering under you?"

"If you choose to continue on this vein, I will have no choice but to file a lawsuit," Siegfried said calmly. "I will not let you or that disgusting wretch ruin everything I have built."

"'Disgusting wretch'?" Yuugi echoed in disbelief.

"Well," Siegfried said with a nasty sneer. "Let's call a spade a spade." He moved forward, into Yuugi's personal space, and Yuugi backed up against the elevator wall, eyes wide. "I would be willing to overlook the slander," Siegfried said lowly, "as long as neither you or that Arab speak another word of this. If you do, I will sue you for your lives' worth and neither of you will ever erect another building on this earth again."

He leaned even closer into Yuugi's space, and Yuugi reeled back in alarm. He pressed himself to the metal as far as he could go.

"Am I understood?" Siegfried said, and he raised a hand, tilting Yuugi's chin up.

"You're invading my personal space," Yuugi answered, craning his neck to avoid Siegfried's hand.

"So I am," Siegfried murmured, and he smirked. "Now let's drop this tedious business and move our conversation somewhere more comfortable, what do you say?"

Yuugi recoiled, incredulity surging through him.

"Are you," Yuugi slowly said, "hitting on me?"

"I've been interested in you for some time now, Yuugi," Siegfried crooned, his fingers caressing his cheek. "Let's not allow this unpleasantness with that lying oaf sour the relationship between us."

"Relationship?" Yuugi sputtered. "We've never had a —"

"Business relationship," Siegfried said. "I treated you very well, Yuugi, remember that? Come back to work for me. I'll give you a corner office. I'll give you a raise — I'll give you two if you catch my drift?"

"What," Yuugi blurted out. "Is this really happening to me right now?"

"Don't play coy," Siegfried said and he pressed Yuugi against the wall with his body, and Yuugi became distinctly aware a stiff bulge pressing into his hip. Frozen, Yuugi stood there as Siegfried's hand swerved up his jaw and into his hair, taking a secure hold of it.

"I-is that —" Yuugi stuttered out, and Siegfried hummed in humored verification.

"Like I said," Siegfried murmured into his ear. "I'm very interested in you, Yuugi-chan." He firmly pressed his pelvis into Yuugi who cringed at the action. He stiffened when Siegfried rolled his hips insistently against him. "You're exactly my type."

Horrified, Yuugi dodged Siegfried's mouth and forcibly slipped out of his hold. He felt a couple strands of hair pull out of his scalp as he went. Darting to the other side of the elevator, he turned to see Siegfried whip around in confusion. Yuugi's eyes were wide as he stared at Siegfried, revulsion coursing through him.

"No, you sicko!" Yuugi shouted. "Don't touch me!" He raised his hand, his heart beating frantically in his chest. "Do you see this?" he said, waving his phone. "I recorded everything you said about Atemu, so you go ahead and try suing, you creep!"

Siegfried's eyes narrowed on the phone and he scoffed.

"Do you really think that little recording will prove anything?" Siegfried laughed, and Yuugi's stomach twisted in dismay.

"What do you mean?" Yuugi said, his previously strong voice wavering.

"All your little recording will prove is that I'm sort of an asshole and both you and Muuran are slanderous fools," Siegfried smugly said. He scoffed. "I thought you were smarter than this, Yuugi. Did you forget I'm a millionaire? My lawyers will have you out on the streets faster than you can blink. You've chosen the losing side."

Breath caught in his lungs, Yuugi's hand shook in the air. He thought of Atemu. The words he had spoken in the parking lot echoed back to Yuugi then.

"If I had done anything, he would have easily crushed me."

Atemu had been right. They did not stand a chance against Siegfried. It did not matter what they said, Siegfried's money spoke louder than words, louder than truth. They would certainly lose.

But the thought of Atemu wound itself around Yuugi, strengthening his resolve. He clenched his jaw and stood straighter, staring directly into Siegfried's laughing eyes. Opening his mouth, Yuugi did not think before he spoke.

"'Losing side'?" he said, and his courage grew. "You're the one who will lose, Siegfried von Schroeder. My best friend is Katsuya Jounouchi, husband of Seto Kaiba from KaibaCorp! If you dare come after Atemu, we will bury you, and that's a promise."

The silence was deafening. Siegfried stared at Yuugi, eyes narrowed and jaw working angrily.

The elevator came to a smooth stop and dinged, the doors sliding open.

Without blinking, Yuugi pointedly turned away and marched out of the elevator with his head held high. He headed for the front doors with purpose and he did not look back. He was surefooted as he exited the doors and made his way to the parking lot, easily finding his car and unlocking the door. Climbing in, he shut it behind him and it was as if a spell had been broken.

His body turned to jelly and Yuugi collapsed against the steering wheel, gripping it weakly as his body shook with adrenaline.

"Oh, man," Yuugi said, heart palpitating in his chest. "Oh, geez. What have I done? What did I do? Oh, damn. Oh, shit. Oh, fuck!" He pushed away from the wheel and crumpled against the seat, covering his face with his hands and smacking himself with his phone. He held it out, turning off the recording and dropping it into the seat beside him. "Ohhh, what am I going to do?" he bemoaned, staring at the ceiling. "What if he retaliates? What if he calls my bluff? Oh, crap, Atemu's going to kill me for this." Yuugi snapped up straight, eyes wide. "Oh, fuck, Atemu," Yuugi breathed. "He can't afford this. I can't afford this! Shit, what the hell have I done? Yuugi, you idiot!" He smacked his palm to his forehead and rubbed at it when it stung. Burying his face into his hands, he groaned. "I'm an idiot," he said. "Atemu said to let it go! Why couldn't I just let it go!"

Reluctantly straightening once more, Yuugi gazed at the dashboard. He took a deep breath and sighed it out.

"Damage control," he said. "I need to tell Atemu what I did." He flinched. "Jounouchi too. Oh, they're going to hate me for this."

His heart sank.

"I'm such an idiot."

x x x

Exiting the car, Yuugi looked up at the apartment building and his heart grew heavy in his chest. He sighed and shook his head.

"Might as well get it over with," he said, and he closed the door, locking the car before he started for the building. His feet were lead boots as he walked, his gait slow and his shoulders low. It felt as if he were walking towards a gallows where he would soon be hanged.

He entered the building and went for the elevator, reluctant as he summoned it. When it arrived, Yuugi closed his eyes as he walked in. He took a deep breath before he pressed the number for Atemu's floor, and held it as the elevator climbed.

When the doors opened, Yuugi let out the breath in a whoosh and sucked another in before he stepped out and headed down the hall. He did not stop until he reached Atemu's door, and it was only then that he paused, hand shaking as he raised it.

He's going to hate me, Yuugi thought. It'll serve me right. I can't believe I did this to him.

He meekly knocked.

The door opened faster than Yuugi had desired, and then Atemu was there, standing in the doorway wearing sweatpants and a blue shirt. The hallway was suddenly flooded with the smell of soap and chamomile, and Yuugi breathed it in, comforted by the smell. He looked up at Atemu's face, and the breath was stolen from his lungs.

I forgot how handsome he is.

Atemu's hair was damp from a recent shower, but he had not shaved. His chin was scruffy from day-old beard and he was smiling, his tired violet-red eyes warm and welcoming.

"Yuugi, hey," Atemu greeted. His breath was minty fresh and he shifted in the doorway before moving aside. "Come in."

Stepping inside, Yuugi cringed at the sound of the closing door. He knew Atemu's home well, having been there everyday for the past month. There was the bed in the far left corner with blue sheets where Atemu had insisted Yuugi sleep when he had been too tired to return home. Those times, Atemu had taken the sofa in what constituted as the living room opposite the bed. Against the wall was the drafting table, adjacent to a bookshelf. On the floor right before it were the three boxes Atemu had yet to empty.

Atemu came around him, gesturing to the kitchenette taking up the corner on the right.

"Tea?" he questioned.

He remembered, Yuugi thought, though it was not much of a surprise since Atemu had had a whole month of Yuugi choosing tea over coffee as they had worked.

"Um, no," Yuugi said, and Atemu halted, having already taken two steps to get Yuugi tea. He turned back, brow furrowed.

"Are you alright, Yuugi?" Atemu asked, and Yuugi bit his bottom lip, taking a breath.

"I think we need to talk," Yuugi said, and Atemu's confusion evaporated, replaced by understanding. He nodded solemnly.

"Yes, I believe we do."

Yuugi could not look Atemu in the eye.

"Shall we sit?" Atemu said, and Yuugi shook his head.

"I want to stand," Yuugi said, and he wrung his hands together. "I, um, I need to tell you something, and it's not exactly easy for me, so please just let me get it out." He gulped dryly, staring at Atemu's chest as he gathered his courage.

Atemu shifted.

"Yuugi, wait," he said, and Yuugi shook his head.

"No, hold on," he said. "Let me say this."

"Stop," Atemu said. "I know what you're going to say."

"No, you —" Yuugi looked up at Atemu in shock. "You know?" he whispered.

Did Siegfried already call him? Yuugi wondered. Did he threaten to sue?

It was Atemu who could not meet his gaze then. He moved uncomfortably, crossing and uncrossing his arms before he sighed and nodded, leaving his hands by his sides.

"I know," he said softly. "And I don't want to hear you say it."

"Why?" Yuugi asked, confused. "Is this some kind of plausible deniability thing?"

"Something like that," Atemu said with a wry smile that quickly turned into a grimace. "Yuugi, I'm sorry," he said. "I can't — I don't want you to say anything because I'm not sure how I'll react. I … I can't deal with this. Not right now."

He met Yuugi's gaze then, his eyes filled with turmoil, a look Yuugi had never seen on him before. He did not like it. It hurt.

And it was his fault it was there at all.

"I know," Yuugi whispered. "You've got a lot to deal with." He looked at Atemu beseechingly. "But I need to tell you."

"I just lost my job," Atemu said, and his voice was fragile. "I know we're getting this unbelievable chance with KaibaCorp, but something could always go wrong. I can't afford to screw this up. This business I want to build will require every bit of my strength, and I can't have this endangering it. It could ruin everything. We could lose everything. Our friendship — Yuugi, you mean so much to me. I don't want our friendship to fall apart over this." Atemu reached out as if to take Yuugi by his arms, but a flash of fear crossed his features and he dropped his hands heavily. They clenched uselessly by his sides.

"It's too risky," he said, breathing shallowly. "No matter how I feel…" He closed his eyes and shook his head. "Just please don't say it."

"So what you're saying," Yuugi said, his stomach heavy as though filled with lead, "is that I should deal with this … by myself?" He stared at Atemu, watching the guilt, the reluctance, and the sorrow struggling against each other. "You want nothing to do with it?"

"I'm sorry, Yuugi," Atemu said remorsefully. "I just can't do this now." He reached up and scratched at his head. "Maybe, if you were willing to wait until our company was stable — maybe then? We could" — he gestured uselessly with his hands — "try?" he finished lamely. Atemu sighed tiredly, covering his face with his hands. Dropping them, he looked at Yuugi, his expression torn. "I don't think you'd be willing to wait that long," he said sadly. "It could be years until that happened."

"What?" Yuugi said, baffled. He had gotten lost somewhere along the way. Atemu's words no longer made any sense to him. "What are you saying? I don't think I follow."

Atemu flushed, his face growing dark with color. He dropped his gaze to Yuugi's midsection, his hands coming together and wringing themselves.

"Well," Atemu said, and he cleared his throat, "anything could happen between now and then. Someone else could enter the picture. I can't exactly hold you accountable. You're free to do what you want. I mean, I'd be willing to wait, but I'd understand if you didn't. You could get tired of waiting and I wouldn't blame you —"

Atemu's babbling was thankfully interrupted by Yuugi's phone. It rang in his pocket and he pulled it out, gazing at the screen. His stomach flipped at the name.

"It's Jounouchi," Yuugi said, and he looked up at Atemu. "I should answer."

"Yeah," Atemu said, deflating. Reaching up a hand, he dragged it through his damp hair, causing it to stick up. "Answer it."

Yuugi tapped the screen and put the phone up to his ear.

"Hey, Jou," he greeted. "I'm with Atemu, let me put you on speaker." He pulled the phone away and pressed the speaker button.

"Oh good," said Katsuya's voice. "You're both there."

"Yes, hello, Mr. Jounouchi," Atemu greeted. His eyes lifted to Yuugi, a glint of sadness within them before he dropped his gaze back to the phone.

"Hey," Katsuya said. "I told you it's alright to call me Jou, man."

"Right, Jou," Atemu said, but it was obvious he was uncomfortable with it.

"I'm just gonna come out with it," Katsuya said. "Did one of you tell Siegfried von Schroeder that Seto was going to sue him?"

Yuugi paled.

"I'm sorry," Atemu said. His face had gone blank. "What?"

"Oh, geez," Yuugi groaned, covering his face with his free hand. "I'm so sorry, Jou."

"I'm sorry," Atemu repeated, "what?"

"Siegfried must've called them as well," Yuugi said to Atemu with a grimace. "He called my bluff." He turned his attention to the phone. "Jou, I'm sorry, it was me. I shouldn't have said it. I shouldn't have used you guys like that. I was mad and I wasn't thinking when I told him you and your husband were going to back us up. I'm really sorry. I promise you I'm going to fix it!"

"I'm sorry," Atemu said for the third time, eyes wide, "but what?"

"Are you stuck in a loop?" Yuugi asked Atemu lowly, concerned.

"Nah, nah," Katsuya said, regaining Yuugi's attention. "It's all good. He called Seto trying to play nice and asking if we really knew you, yadda-yadda. Spun some story about how you were slandering him or something. Seto got mad and told him we'd see him in court, so I'm calling to tell you guys that you gotta talk to our lawyers and not to go near Siegfried or talk to him for now. We'll be meeting tomorrow morning with them, okay?"

"Uh," Yuugi said dumbly. "Okay?"

"Cool beans, I'll text you the time and place," Katsuya said, and he paused. "Hey, Yuugi?"

"Yeah?" Yuugi said, wincing.

"Take me off speaker," Katsuya requested.

"Sure," Yuugi said, and he clicked his phone, tapping the speaker button once more before putting the phone up to his ear. "Yeah?" he prompted.

"I do got your back, bud," Katsuya said gently, and Yuugi bit his lip. "Always. I owe you my life. You remember that time we talked about my future and how I told you I'd probably end up working at a convenience store for the rest of my life?"

It took Yuugi a second to recall, but the memory came all at once. Sitting in detention after making a slip-n-slide in the school hallway, Katsuya and he had pondered their futures. Yuugi had dreamed of taking over his grandfather's store at the time, but Katsuya's personal outlook had been grim and negative. Yuugi could still visualize the self-doubt, the resignation. The lack of hope.

"I remember," Yuugi said.

"You remember what you told me?" Katsuya said, and Yuugi hummed.

"Somewhat," he said.

"You told me to follow my dreams," Katsuya said. "I laughed and said I wanted to play games for a living, but you didn't even miss a beat. You looked me straight in the eye and said I could do it. You believed in me with all your heart." He paused, taking a breath. "You gave me hope, Yuugi. I'll never forget that. You helped me believe in myself. Because of that, look where I am. I landed a great job and met the love of my life — all because I had someone who believed in me. That's you, buddy."

Yuugi inhaled sharply and his chest squeezed painfully.

"I'm really happy for you, Jou," he said, his voice croaky with emotion. "But you did that all on your own. You don't owe me —"

"Anytime, any place," Katsuya said firmly, "and no matter what. You call me and I'll be there to beat someone's ass with my husband and our lawyers."

Yuugi's throat swelled shut with emotion and his eyes watered as he tried to speak.

"Th-thanks, Jou," he whispered.

"The second 'f' in BFF stands for 'forever', right?" Katsuya said, and Yuugi bit the inside of his cheek to keep from sobbing outright.

"Yeah," he managed to say, and Katsuya chuckled.

"Don't you start crying on me or I'll whoop you," Katsuya said and there was a distinct warble to his voice. "I gotta go. There's donuts calling my name. Talk to ya later, Yuugi."

"Talk later," Yuugi sniffed, and they hung up.

Breathing deeply, Yuugi held his phone and smiled, thankful for his friend. Thankful to have found him once again.

"Yuugi?" Atemu said and Yuugi turned to him just as his phone dinged with a text message.

"Yeah?" Yuugi said, clearing his throat. He wiped at his eyes.

Atemu put his hands together, steepling them before his mouth and closing his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he slowly let it out and opened his eyes, meeting Yuugi's gaze. He lowered his hands to speak.

"Do you mind explaining what the hell is going on?"

"Huh?" Yuugi said in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Well, first," Atemu said, and he interwove his fingers, clenching them. "Why did Schroeder think Mr. Kaiba would sue him? Second, why is it your fault that happened? And third, why do we need to meet Kaiba's lawyers?"

For a long moment, Yuugi stared at Atemu, baffled. He frowned, blinking at him before he raised a finger.

"We just talked about this," he said. "You even asked me to keep you out of it — for me to deal with it."

Atemu gave Yuugi a hard, searching look, as if waiting for Yuugi to change his answer. When Yuugi did nothing, Atemu opened his mouth, closed it, and shook his head.

"I have a feeling I have drastically misunderstood something," he said. "What exactly does our relationship have to do with Schroeder and Mr. Kaiba?"

Yuugi's cheeks grew warm at once, his eyes widening.

"Our relationship?" Yuugi sputtered. "Atemu, what on earth are you talking about?"

Adorably confused, Atemu reached up and scratched at his head.

"I'm wondering the same thing," Atemu said helplessly. "I'm just trying to put the brakes on whatever this" — he motioned between them — "is, and you're talking about, what, slander? Lawsuits?" He peered at Yuugi. "What do you think we're talking about?"

Frowning, Yuugi squinted at Atemu, his cheeks growing warmer by the second.

"Us — what did you think we were talking about?" he countered, and Atemu's expression changed, his eyes darting away before clearing his throat. He blushed and Yuugi's eyes widened. He had never seen Atemu look quite so flustered before.

"I asked first," Atemu protested, and Yuugi tilted his head, bewildered.

"I thought — didn't Siegfried call you?" Yuugi asked.

"Why would he call me?" Atemu returned. "He fired me!"

"But —" Yuugi floundered, utterly perplexed. "You said you knew! I was going to tell you and you said not to say anything — you already knew!"

"I know about your feelings, yes, but I don't know whatever the hell this thing with Schroeder is!" Atemu blurted out, exasperated, and Yuugi froze, his heart skipping a beat.

Eyes wide, Yuugi stared at Atemu, watching him still. Atemu's wide eyes met Yuugi's before he looked away, hand coming up to run nervously through his hair. He winced.

"I mean," Atemu said, hesitant.

"You know about my feelings?" Yuugi whispered, and he drew back. He felt exposed and vulnerable, as though Atemu's words had melted away his clothes, leaving him bare. He took in a shaky breath, eyes falling to the floor and arms immediately coming up to hold himself.

Abruptly, he recalled the moment in the parking lot outside of the restaurant. He had almost given himself away, and Atemu — he looked at Atemu carefully, noting the downturn of his mouth, the reluctance in his stance — Atemu had looked at him with suspicion then. Yuugi shivered, feeling cold.

…Atemu knew.

"Oh," Yuugi mumbled.

He had nothing more to say.

In the uncomfortable silence that followed, Atemu shifted on his feet, shuffling them and clearing his throat.

"What's this with Schroeder then?" he asked.

The rejection was palpable, like a physical shove. Yuugi steadied himself on his feet and his hands clenched on his arms. His chest ached.

"Let's sit," he said quietly.

Yuugi made his way over to Atemu's small table next to the kitchenette without looking at Atemu, sitting on one of the two chairs adjacent to each other. After a second, Atemu joined him, grabbing the second chair and moving it across from where Yuugi sat.

Atemu took his seat.

The distance was like a punch to Yuugi's gut.

"After work," Yuugi began, "I bumped into Siegfried in the elevator." Though he stared firmly at the table, in his peripheral, Yuugi saw Atemu nod. Taking a deep breath, he continued. "I got into the elevator because I wanted to prove I wasn't scared of him or something ridiculous like that." Yuugi shrugged halfheartedly. "Point is, I got in. We were alone." He sighed heavily. "Siegfried asked why I had accused him of discrimination."

At that, Atemu moved on the chair, bringing his hands up to lay on the table, clasped together.

He said nothing.

Lifting his phone, Yuugi turned on the screen and searched for the recording.

"I started recording," he said and pressed play.

Siegfried's voice filled the apartment, clear as a bell.

"Where indeed?"

Siegfried's voice rose from the speaker like a snake, and Yuugi placed the phone between them.

"Perhaps from Muuran? Was it he who spread these lies about me?"

Yuugi dared glance up at Atemu and found him frowning at the phone.

"Do you know what that is?" Siegfried continued. "It's defamation of character. I could sue him for that. Making you believe those lies so he wouldn't look bad for losing his job? It's despicable."

Atemu frowned.

"Are they lies?" Yuugi's voice emanated from the phone, strong and steady. "You had some choice words yourself, Mr. von Schroeder. You said you wished me to work on the Kaiba account alone without Mr. Muuran 'mucking it up like' — how did you put it? 'Everything else he puts his filthy hands on'? You said that, did you not?"

Raising his eyes, Atemu looked at Yuugi, surprised, and Yuugi looked away.

"Am I on trial here?" Siegfried said in amusement. "I might have said that, but it's not a lie. Muuran's work has been lacking."

Atemu made a frustrated noise at that.

"It's been lacking because you've been giving him impossible deadlines!" Yuugi's voice countered, and Atemu stilled. "Anyone's work would suffer! You've been unfair to him, and you stuck him in that — in that shoe box of an office! It doesn't even have windows!"

"It was the one he chose," Siegfried said.

"It was not!" Atemu suddenly growled at the phone, his hands clenching atop the table.

"How could you treat Atemu like that?" Yuugi hissed from the speaker. "How many other employees have you treated like that? How many more are still suffering under you?"

"Rishid was one of them," Atemu commented. "That's why he quit."

Yuugi looked at him. But before he could question Atemu, the recording continued.

"If you choose to continue on this vein, I will have no choice but to file a lawsuit," Siegfried said, and Yuugi was surprised to hear an agitated undertone in his voice. He had not noticed it at the time, but it was more than clear in the recording that his words had had an impact on Siegfried. "I will not let you or that disgusting wretch ruin everything I have built."

"Bastard," Atemu muttered.

"'Disgusting wretch'?" Yuugi breathed.

"Well," Siegfried said mockingly, "let's call a spade a spade." There was a shuffling then, footsteps thudding softly on carpet. "I would be willing to overlook the slander," Siegfried said, "as long as neither you or that Arab speak another word of this. If you do, I will sue you for your lives' worth and neither of you will ever erect another building on this earth again."

There was a thud of the phone briefly striking a hard metallic surface.

"Am I understood," Siegfried said.

"You're invading my personal space," Yuugi's voice answered, restrained and stiff.

Yuugi grit his teeth, grimacing at the unpleasant memory of Siegfried touching him.

"So I am," Siegfried murmured. "Now let's drop this tedious business and move our conversation somewhere more comfortable, what do you say?"

Stilling, Yuugi's eyes dropped to the phone. He had just remembered what happened next.

"Are you," Yuugi's frightened voice wavered, "hitting on me?"

"We don't need to listen to this part," Yuugi quickly said. "This isn't important." He reached for the phone, but Atemu grabbed his hand, stopping him. When Yuugi looked at him, his heart thudded.

Atemu's eyes were dark, his lips drawn into a thin line.

"Leave it," he said, his voice deep and serious.

Yuugi shivered.

"…interested in you for some time now, Yuugi," Siegfried's voice crooned over the phone's speaker, and Yuugi shuddered in disgust. "Let's not allow this unpleasantness with that lying oaf sour the relationship between us."

"Relationship?" Yuugi sputtered over the speaker. "We've never had a —"

"Business relationship," Siegfried said. "I treated you very well, Yuugi, remember that? Come back to work for me. I'll give you a corner office. I'll give you a raise — I'll give you two if you catch my drift?"

Atemu's hand tightened on Yuugi's.

"What," Yuugi blurted out, unnerved. "Is this really happening to me right now?"

"Don't play coy," Siegfried said, and there was more shuffling, the rustle of clothes, and a small gasp that undoubtedly came from Yuugi.

"I-is that —" Yuugi stuttered out, and Siegfried hummed in assent.

Atemu's hold became unbearably tight, and Yuugi winced. Quickly letting go, Atemu took up the phone, glaring at it, knuckles white.

"Like I said," Siegfried murmured. "I'm very interested in you, Yuugi-chan." Another rustle. "You're exactly my type."

A whimper sounded through the speaker before some sudden shuffling and rapid footsteps came through.

"No, you sicko!" Yuugi shouted, unnerved and panting. "Don't touch me!"

Atemu relaxed only slightly, but his glare remained.

"Do you see this?" Yuugi continued. "I recorded everything you said about Atemu, so you go ahead and try suing, you creep!"

There was a scoff.

"Do you really think that little recording will prove anything?" Siegfried laughed.

"What do you mean?" Yuugi said, his previously strong voice wavering.

"All your little recording will prove is that I'm sort of an asshole, and both you and Muuran are slanderous fools," Siegfried smugly said. He scoffed again. "I thought you were smarter than this, Yuugi. Did you forget I'm a millionaire? My lawyers will have you out on the street faster than you can blink. You've chosen the losing side."

There was a long pause before Yuugi spoke.

"'Losing side'?" he said, and his voice was strong, filled with conviction. "You're the one who will lose, Siegfried von Schroeder. My best friend is Katsuya Jounouchi, husband of Seto Kaiba from KaibaCorp! If you dare come after Atemu, we will bury you, and that's a promise."

Silence followed, and even the wind-down of the elevator was heard before it dinged and the sound of the doors sliding open came through.

Slowly reaching out, Yuugi took the phone from Atemu's hand.

"That's it," he said softly before turning off the recording.

Abruptly, Atemu stood from the chair. He moved over to the coffeemaker and grabbed his mug and the pot, serving himself. He set the pot back into place before downing the coffee in one hit and slamming the mug back onto the counter.

Yuugi jumped.

"That son of a bitch!" Atemu shouted, and Yuugi shifted in his chair, unsure of what to do.

Before he could blink, Atemu whirled around and went toward him, reaching him before Yuugi could so much as twitch. Crouching, Atemu took Yuugi's face into his hands, searching him with narrowed violet-red eyes. That burning gaze roved over him, searching every bit of him. His hands slowly moved down to his neck, his shoulders, arms — forearms — hands — they paused at his thighs before Atemu's eyes found his own once more.

"Did he hurt you?" Atemu asked, and contrary to his previous anger, his voice was the softest Yuugi had ever heard.

He blinked down at Atemu, confused.

"N-no," Yuugi said with a shake of his head. "He didn't hurt me —"

"Did he touch you?" Atemu asked and Yuugi opened his mouth to reply before he abruptly closed it, hesitating. Atemu frowned. "Did he?" he pressed.

"Just my face," Yuugi answered uncomfortably.

"Anything else?" Atemu asked. "You said he invaded your space."

"W-well," Yuugi struggled. "He" — a grimace pulled at his lips — "he cornered me." Atemu said nothing, patiently waiting for Yuugi to finish. With a disgusted curl of his lips, Yuugi twitched, recalling the rubbing of Siegfried's hard-on on his hip. "It's nothing," Yuugi mumbled.

"Please tell me," Atemu said gently.

Reluctantly, Yuugi squirmed in his seat. He felt embarrassed — ashamed that he had let Siegfried get that close. That he had not immediately shoved him away.

"It's nothing," Yuugi repeated.

It was not nothing. But Yuugi was ashamed. He did not want Atemu to know.

"Did it make you uncomfortable?" Atemu asked.

After a moment, Yuugi nodded.

"Then it's not nothing," Atemu said. "If you don't want to tell me…" He sighed, glancing away from Yuugi. "Maybe you would be more comfortable telling Mr. Kaiba's lawyers —"

"No," Yuugi said, shaking his head. "I don't — it's not important, okay? I feel really stupid talking about this. Can we drop it?"

"Whatever happened," Atemu said, and his hands slowly took Yuugi's holding them, "it's not on you, Yuugi. It's on Schroeder. If he grabbed you, kissed you — anything he did, it's on him. You did not ask for it."

Yuugi looked away, closing his eyes.

"He rubbed himself on me, okay?" he confessed irately. "I didn't move away in time. I let him —"

"You didn't let him do anything," Atemu interrupted. "I heard the recording myself, Yuugi," Atemu said. "You didn't ask him to do that. You didn't encourage him. What he did, it's called sexual harassment. He approached you, cornered you, and put his hands and body on you. I think it even borders on assault."

Opening his eyes, Yuugi laughed nervously.

"It's not assault," Yuugi said, and Atemu's hands gently squeezed Yuugi's.

"Yuugi," he said patiently, his tone serious yet comforting, "I know the term sounds scary, and you might feel like what happened to you isn't enough to fit into it, but sexual assault is when a person sexually touches another without their consent." He paused, letting the words sink in. "Did Schroeder physically corner you?"

"Yes," Yuugi said. "He moved toward me and backed me up against the wall of the elevator."

"Did he place his body on you without your consent?" Atemu asked.

"Well," Yuugi said, hesitant, "first he just sorta put it against my hip. I realized he was hard and just — I froze up."

"He was erect?" Atemu softly said.

Yuugi nodded.

"Yeah," he said. "He was really hard. I couldn't believe it, so I just stood there, and then he rubbed it on me. I wriggled out when he tried to kiss me. I think some of my hair got yanked out at that point." Yuugi withdrew a hand from Atemu's hold and touched the spot where Siegfried had grabbed him. "He'd sort of cupped the back of my head, but, like, grabbed my hair when he did it."

"That's assault, Yuugi," Atemu said, and Yuugi's brow furrowed as he dropped his hand.

"But what if it's not?" Yuugi asked.

"It happened against your will, without your consent," Atemu said. "He grabbed you by the hair and pushed his erect penis on you. It's assault."

"But he was wearing clothes," Yuugi said. His face felt hot, his palms sweaty. "We both were. He didn't try to rip my clothes off or anything."

"Yuugi," Atemu said. "He tried to kiss you." His expression was understanding and kind. "I would like you to bring this up when we talk to the lawyers."

Instantly, Yuugi stiffened, and Atemu rubbed his thumb over Yuugi's hand.

"I don't want to," Yuugi mumbled.

"I believe it would help," Atemu said, and Yuugi shook his head.

"I don't want to make it into big deal," Yuugi said. "I get it. I know Siegfried did wrong, but that's not a battle I want."

After a few moments of considering Yuugi's words, Atemu nodded.

"Alright," Atemu said. "I won't force you."

"Thank you, Atemu," Yuugi whispered. He hesitated. "If … if everything else isn't enough…" He shrugged. "I'll tell them about it, but otherwise, let's just focus on what he's done to you."

"Alright," Atemu agreed. He stood, letting go of Yuugi's hands as he went. "I feel we've had enough excitement for today," Atemu said. "Maybe it's best to call it a night."

Standing, Yuugi nodded.

"Yeah," he said.

He began to move to the door, but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. He turned to find Atemu gazing at him closely.

"I don't want to be misunderstood," Atemu said, and Yuugi blinked at him, confused.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I wasn't rejecting you," Atemu said, and it took Yuugi a couple of seconds before he realized what Atemu was talking about.

"Oh," he said, and his heart fluttered.

"We're going into business together," Atemu said, and Yuugi nodded.

"I understand," he said.

"No," Atemu said softly, "you don't." He sighed. "I have … feelings." Atemu paused, his jaw flexing. "For you," he said, his eyes watching Yuugi. "I care about you. I have for a while. We were coworkers, and I was scared of messing up our friendship. Now I'm scared of messing up our future business and our friendship." He breathed deep. "I want something with you, Yuugi," he said.

Yuugi's heart skipped a beat, his eyes wide.

"But not yet," Atemu said regrettably. "Not right now when everything can come tumbling down on us."

Yuugi was silent. He made to cross his arms over his chest, but refrained, forcing them by his sides with a tremble of his arms.

"I'm willing to wait," Yuugi said. "Earlier, you said something about that."

"I did," Atemu said. "It might take a while before we're in a stable position. I don't want you to promise anything."

"How about a counteroffer?" Yuugi asked, and Atemu looked at him in confusion.

"A counteroffer?" Atemu said, and Yuugi nodded, stepping forward.

"We don't know what the future will bring," Yuugi said. "For all we know, our company will never be stable. Hell, it could all go to shit." He laughed. "What I'm trying to say is, well, that things are always better when two people who care about each other face them together."

"You make a fair point," Atemu said, "but this could all pile onto whatever relationship we have, Yuugi. It could strain us, stress us, and even end us."

"And you don't want to take that risk," Yuugi said.

Atemu shook his head.

Stepping forward, Yuugi slowly reached out and placed his hand on Atemu's cheeks.

"Could I ask you for something?" Yuugi said.

"What is it?" Atemu said warily.

"Kiss me?" Yuugi requested, and Atemu stiffened, his body tensing.

"I can't," Atemu said, his voice hushed.

"Why not?" Yuugi asked.

"Because I don't know if I'll be able to stop," Atemu whispered.

"Who said you had to?" Yuugi said with a smile. "Kiss me, Atemu."

"…Yuugi," Atemu whispered, but his resolve was crumbling. He gazed at Yuugi with longing and closed his eyes, breathing deeply. Opening his eyes, he sighed. "Damn it."

In the next second, Atemu wrapped his arms around Yuugi and pulled him forward. Yuugi's smile widened and Atemu descended, pressing their mouths together.

It was clumsy.

Yuugi laughed, his lips struggling to close and kiss Atemu back. However, the more he tried to compose himself, the more he chuckled, and Atemu's lips pursed against Yuugi's mouth, eyes opening to narrow on him. He pulled away and Yuugi exhaled a disappointed sound.

"No, come back," Yuugi said, giggling at Atemu's nettled expression. "I'm sorry, I'll stop laughing. I'm just really happy. You have no idea how long I've been dreaming of kissing you."

"Same here," Atemu replied, "so could you stop laughing? You made me give in. Take responsibility."

Closing his mouth, Yuugi cleared his throat, but his eyes shone with mirth and Atemu was begrudgingly charmed by it. He sighed and a smile broke across his lips.

"You know," Atemu said, "this is really unfair. How am I supposed to resist you when you're acting this cute. I think my plan was doomed to failure from the start. There's no way I would have been able to keep myself from you." He sighed, raising his eyes to the ceiling. "I'm an idiot," he said. "To think I said I would have been able to wait years —"

"Atemu," Yuugi interrupted, and Atemu looked at him.

The humor was gone, replaced by a tender affection that gave Atemu a warm feeling in his stomach.

"I'm ready now," Yuugi said softly.

"Good," Atemu murmured, and he leaned in, melding their lips together. Yuugi's mouth was soft and welcoming. Atemu could hardly believe he had been willing to give Yuugi a chance to get away. He breathed in sharply when Yuugi moved sweetly against him.

It had been naught but a fool's errand. Because now that he was kissing Yuugi, the furthest thing from Atemu's mind was waiting. He did not want to wait years to kiss Yuugi again. He did not even want to part from him now. Atemu pulled Yuugi firmly against him, his hands grasping at Yuugi's back.

He sighed into the kiss, and he tried to follow when Yuugi pulled away. Unfortunately, Yuugi pushed against him and Atemu found himself mouthing air. He frowned and looked at Yuugi, noting the pink in his cheeks, and the happiness in his eyes.

"Together," Yuugi said. "We're doing this together. Dealing with Siegfried and starting the company. You and me. We're mature adults. We can handle this."

After a moment, Atemu nodded.

"Together," Atemu said. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

"You were about to," Yuugi pointed out cheekily.

"I was an idiot," Atemu said firmly, and he cupped Yuugi's cheek. "There's no way in hell I'm doing this without you now."

"Good," Yuugi said gently, "Because I'm not letting you go."

.

The End

---

A/N: I strongly hope that you walk away from this with some food for thought. Sexual assault and racism are not things to be taken lightly. Unfortunately, these things run rampant in society and I dearly hope that if you are a witness to these injustices, you will speak up (this also includes ableism, sexism, misogyny, homophobia, & transphobia). Bc not everyone has a voice that can be heard.

If you are a victim of these injustices, know that you are not alone. My heart is with you all and I'm terribly sorry for the misfortunes that have come upon you. If anyone would like to chat (not necesarily about this - it can be about anything), pls feel free to drop me a line, or several, on twitter or tumblr. I love you guys. Take care of each other. Support each other.

Thanks so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed this one shot! I will greatly appreciate any comments and faves thrown my way!

I am bilingual and anyone who would prefer to comment in Spanish is welcome to.