Hey there, I'm back! New Year's over and school is starting again. Although, I don't need to go to school since I'm already a college graduate. Which is lucky since I don't do much around the house just pretty much read SasuNaru fanfics(my new fav pairing) and Puzzleshipping. But, I still do chores around and after that typing some new chapters for my stories. Anyway, hope you enjoy this one 'cause the real drama starts on the next chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own YuGiOh or the song 'This I Promise You' by *n'sync.


CHAPTER THREE

Yugi woke up when he heard a phone ringing loudly. It was only 3:00 AM in the morning. He was still sleepy because he slept late thinking about his family's problems.

He slowly grabbed the phone and answered it. "Hello?"

Yugi heard someone crying on the other line. He became worried when he recognized it was his best friend. "Ryou, is that you?" he asked, wanting to make sure. Ryou seldom cried. What kind of problem does he have to make him cry like that?

"Yugi, it's about Dad."

"What happened to Uncle Dan?"

Yugi couldn't understand what Ryou was saying. But he definitely heard the word "wedding."

"Wedding? Who's getting married?" he asked confused. Dan Bakura surely was not getting married. His wife is still alive.

"Me!" Ryou blurted out and started crying again.

Yugi laughed. "Oh, come on, Ryou. Did you disturb my sleep just to joke around?"

"Do I sound like I'm joking?"

"How can you get married? You don't even have a boyfriend or a girlfriend." Yugi asked. Was Ryou playing a joke on him?

"That's the reason why I'm crying. Dad promised me to a worthless person that I have ever met." Yugi noticed the anger on his best friend's voice.

Yugi had a feeling about who the person was. There's only one person that Ryou hated the most. "Is it Bakura?" he asked.

Ryou started crying again that made Yugi laughed.

"I'm glad I'm making you laugh," Ryou said sarcastically.

"Ryou, it's not that. But aren't you just overreacting? The guy has been in the States since we were seven years old?"

"Eight," Ryou corrected.

"Okay, eight. Don't tell me that even now you still hate him? It's been a long time since you last seen him and you even refuse to listen to anything about him."

"I can never forget what that ugly bastard did to me, ever."

Ugly? As far as Yugi could remember, Bakura was anything but ugly. Ryou just really hate Bakura that's why he always thought of him that way.

He knew Ryou once had a crush on the guy but he also knew how Bakura, as a child, made Ryou's life a living hell.

Yugi frowned. It looks like Ryou is hiding something that even he can't admit to himself.

"Oh, yeah. How are you and Atemu doing?" Ryou asked, changing the subject.

Yugi smiled. His friend really know how to change the mood. Ryou looked like he was going to die soon by the way he was crying just a moment ago, now he wants to know about his love life.

"We're okay," he answered.

"We're okay' as in 'we're okay' or just plain 'okay'?"

"We're together now," Yugi admitted that made Ryou shout in happiness. "Ryou Bakura, you're going to wake up the whole neighborhood from all that screaming," he said. "I just have a boyfriend again. I'm not getting married."

Ryou started crying again when Yugi mentioned the word "wedding".

Uh-oh, wrong choice of word, Yugi.


"Are you okay, Yugi. You've been like that for days. Do you have a problem?" Atemu asked when he parked the car in a basement parking lot of a famous condominium. Atemu said he lived there.

"Yes. I'm perfectly fine," Yugi lied.

Atemu looked unconvinced. "I noticed that you've been spacing out lately. Are you getting tired of my company?" he asked.

Yugi cupped Atemu's face in his hands and looked straight into his eyes. "You're one of the best things that ever happened to me, Atemu. Don't think otherwise," he answered.

"Then what's the problem? I know something is bothering you."

Yugi kept silent.

"Do you trust me, Yugi?" Atemu asked.

"I do. I trust you with my life but some things are—"

"Spill in out, Yugi. I'm willing to listen," he said holding Yugi's hand in his.

Yugi could feel tears forming in his eyes. He then started telling his problem about his family.

"I could help, you know," Atemu said.

"No. That's isn't right," Yugi declined.

"But, Yugi—"

"Please, Atemu. Don't push it."

"I'm willing to help. Why won't you accept my help?" Atemu said.

"Please understand. I don't want others think different about me. I don't want them to say that I'm just using you. It's enough that you're here by my side," Yugi explained. Atemu kept silent and looked away from him. "Please, Atemu, don't make this hard for me," he pleaded.

Atemu brought his gaze back to him and smiled. "I'm sorry, Yugi," he said. Atemu dried his tears using his lips. And when Atemu's lips touched his, Yugi kissed him back in careless abandon as if his life depended on Atemu.

It was Atemu who pulled away and ended the kiss.

Atemu smiled. "I have a surprise for you, remember? My surprise is waiting, dear prince." He got outside the car to open the car door from Yugi's side.

Atemu's surprise was a candlelit dinner in the condominium rooftop. It was very romantic. Yugi momentarily forgot his problem. What mattered at the moment was Atemu.

Yugi hugged the older man with tears in his eyes. "Thank you, Atemu."

Atemu hugged him back. "Don't cry, please. I did this to make you smile and not the other way around."

"I'm crying because I'm so happy," Yugi said.

Atemu slightly pulled his body away from him. "I'm starved. Why don't we eat before the food that I cooked spoiled. I tried my hardest to cook these."

"You cooked all these?" Yugi said, awed.

"Why, yes, sir. Don't you believe in my cooking skills," Atemu mocked whine.

"Of course not. I do believe you."

"Okay, I believe you. Now, let's eat."


Atemu and Yugi decided to rest for a while after eating their dinner.

Yugi raised an eyebrow when Atemu suddenly stood. He faced Yugi and offered his hand. "May I have this dance, Sir?"

Yugi laughed. "This is ridiculous! There's no music," he commented but still took Atemu's hand in his own.

"You say it's ridiculous, but you also want this," Atemu joked.

Yugi nudged him lightly on his side.

Atemu's hands were on his waist while Yugi's were on his shoulders. The younger man's head was resting on Atemu's chest. Yugi could hear Atemu's heart beating wildly—or was it his heart?

Atemu started singing while they danced.

When the visions around you

Bring tears to your eyes

And all that surround you

Are secrets and lies

I'll be your strength

I'll give you hope

Keeping your faith when it's gone

The one you should call

Was standing here all along

Atemu stopped singing. Yugi felt his hands tighten on his waist. He raised his head and met Atemu's gaze. What he saw in the older man's eyes struck him. Was it love? Or desire?

Slowly, Atemu lowered his head and his lips captured Yugi's. It was gentle at first—teasing, tempting.

Yugi followed what his heart was telling him. He kissed Atemu back. He had never felt this way. He wanted Atemu as much as he wanted him.

Atemu's lips went back to Yugi's lips. Yugi didn't know when they got to the bedroom. Nothing mattered to him anymore.

That night, he surrendered everything to Atemu—his body, his heart, and his soul.


Yugi woke up with a smile on his lips. Then he blushed at the thought of what transpired the previous night. Atemu was a passionate man.

Last night, he gave himself to Atemu. And it felt right.

He gathered his clothes and got dressed. He looked for Atemu around the house but couldn't find him. He was disappointed. After last night, he thought Atemu would be there when he woke up and Atemu would tell him how much he loved him. Maybe he had some important things to attend to.

'Something more important than you?' his mind told him.

Bit by bit, bad thoughts started invading his mind. He shook his head to get rid of them.

He decided to go back home.


Yugi's worries disappeared when he saw his parents having breakfast in the dining room.

"Good morning, Mom, Dad," he cheerfully greeted them.

"Good morning, son," his mother greeted back.

"You didn't come home last night. You got us worried," his father said.

"Sorry, Mom, Dad. I didn't even tell you or call you about it. I stayed with a friend. My friend had some problem that's why I couldn't leave," Yugi lied.

"Is that friend of yours a boy or a girl?" his father asked.

"Dad!"

"Okay, okay. So, have you eaten?"

Yugi shook his head.

"Then, why don't you join us."

Yugi did just that.


Atemu got home to his adopted parents house. He wasn't in the mood to work that's why he called in and said he won't be going. He went straight ahead for his bedroom.

Memories of last night crept in his mind. Yugi was a virgin. He couldn't believe he was the first man in Yugi's life. How could that be? Still he felt happy with the knowledge that he was the first.

Now where did that thought come from? Was he falling in love with the enemy's son? No, it can't be. But his heart seemed to think otherwise.

He heard a knock on the door.

"Atemu, are you awake?" It was his mother, Jodie.

Atemu stood up from his bed and opened the door for her. "Your father told me you were sick. Are you all right?" she asked and placed a hand of her son's forehead.

"I'm all right, Mom. I just have a migraine. Don't worry, Mom. I'm okay."

"You have a migraine and yet you still drove your car? What if you had an accident when you came home? You should have me up to pick you or called Carl," his mother said worriedly.

They both sat down on his bed as he calmed his mother down. "Mom, I'm here, ain't I? Nothing bad happened to me. Bad grass does not die easily."

"You really took after your father," Jodie said staring at her son. "You seem so weary, Atemu."

"I'm just tired, Mom. I need a break." Atemu said.

"Break from what? I heard you are dating Yuhi Motou's son. Are you going to continue your plan?" she asked.

Atemu looked away from her.

Jodie took a hold of his chin and turned his face toward her. "Atemu, not that I'm trying to get in the way of your decision. But I'm afraid that you might get hurt in the end. I don't want to see you suffer because I'll be the first to get hurt if that happen."

All of the sudden, Atemu's defenses crumbled and he found himself crying in her bosom. "Mom, Yuhi Motou destroyed my family. He was the reason my parents died. If it wasn't for him, they would still be here. He took my right to be happy. Now that I'm back, I'll make sure he would feel the same pain that I did. He and his family would pay."


A few days have passed and Yugi still haven't received any calls from Atemu. He was starting to have a bad feeling in his heart. He couldn't even do his work properly. He was always spacing out or deep in thought.

"Earth to Yugi, are you with me?"

Yugi was startled when he saw Ryou's hand waving in front of his face. "Did you say something, Ryou?"

"I've been talking for a while. You didn't even listen to a word that I've said." Ryou pouted.

"Sorry, Ryou. I'm just thinking about my problems."

"Don't apologize. It's all right. I wish there's something that I could do to help, I would have done it by now."

"It's okay. As long as you're beside me, I'm okay. Anyway, what happened between you and Uncle Dan last night?" Yugi asked. Ryou said he was going to beg his father to stop the wedding plan.

"You really just have to ask. Of course, he didn't listen to me. He still wants me to marry that bastard Bakura," Ryou huffed. "You know how much I hate that guy since childhood. I will never forget how he trapped me in the attic. I almost died there if Ryu and Dad didn't arrive in time. That could have been the cause of my early death," he said.

Yugi laughed. He really thinks that Ryou is in love with Bakura.


It's already been two weeks. Yugi still have no news about Atemu. He tried calling him but his cellphone was always unattended. He tried calling up his office but according to his secretary, he was out of the country. Out of the country and Atemu hadn't even called him?

Yugi shook his head. He will worry about Atemu later. Right now, he and his family have to deal with the person they owe a huge debt with. They were already facing the person's attorney; Atty. Vhan Collins. According to him, Yami Kuroi is on his way.

Yugi couldn't stop fidgeting. He doesn't know why but he couldn't stop the feeling that something bad is going to happen.

He heard a car arriving. That must be Yami Kuroi.

Yugi raised his head when he heard footsteps. His eyes widened when he recognized who it was. "A-Atemu?"

End of Chapter 3