Chapter 4 ~ Mocha
A week had passed since Ryou had called and the kittens were bigger and stronger. They had successfully doubled their body weight in the first week and they're eyes had opened, revealing stunning clear pools of blue. They sparkled and shone like diamonds.
Yuugi was mixing some formula in the kitchen when the doorbell rang. He looked up hurriedly and mixed the milk frantically before dashing to the door. He opened it and saw Bakura and Ryou standing there with bemused looks on their faces at his flustered state. Ryou smiled.
"You weren't kidding when you said you needed help." He hugged Yuugi and they entered the house. Bakura threw off his black trench coat and hung it up out of the way. He followed the lights into the kitchen where Yuugi resumed mixing the milk, to make sure it didn't clump. Ryou watched him and Bakura rudely, poured himself a drink from the fridge. Ryou hit him lightly.
"What?" he cried as Ryou continued showering him with small slaps.
"I told you to behave yourself!" Bakura smiled weakly.
"I haven't done anything!" He sipped his drink and Yuugi laughed.
"You two fight like a married couple!" The pair went red and Yuugi laughed again going back to his work. "I bought some bigger bottles from the vet yesterday, so we can prepare more feeds at once. It'll help you two anyway. So come on, they're upstairs."
The two followed Yuugi into the guest room where Atemu was stroking two of the kittens. The other two were exploring the pet carrier they were in.
"Hey Atemu!" said Ryou cheerily. Bakura merely tilted his head knowing he wouldn't take offence.
"Hello, both of you." He replied, though he was looking at Ryou when he said it. Ryou bent down beside Atemu and stared at the kittens in awe.
"They're gorgeous! Aw, look at you!" He squealed happily, picking up one of the kittens. The kitten enthusiastically bobbed his head, trying to find food from Ryou. Yuugi chuckled and sat down beside Ryou.
"That's the little monster. He's so feisty, and he's always hungry." Yuugi tilted his head thoughtfully for a second. "He reminds me of when Atemu drinks too much Mocha chino and gets hyper, well not hyper…but over-active." He shrugged as Bakura started laughing. Atemu ignored him and went back to stroking Cleo who had fallen asleep on his lap…again.
Ryou was in heaven. His eyes were sparkling as the kittens studied him with natural curiosity. The kitten with the green arm-band was really shy and crawled away from Atemu and made his way towards Ryou slowly. His big blue eyes watched him carefully. Ryou extended his hand to the kitten, who bumped it with his nose. Ryou smiled. The kitten gave a little 'mewl' and crawled to Yuugi and hid behind his shoe. He popped his head around checking if Ryou was still there.
"Aw! Yuugi they're so sweet. I love this one!" He said pointing to the yellow banded kitten. Yuugi looked at Atemu, who looked ready to drop.
"Atemu, why don't you get some sleep, you look really tired." Atemu hesitated and looked at the kittens. Yuugi understood what he meant and said, "Don't worry about them, I'll show Ryou and Bakura how to look after them. Go on. You need to rest." He said it more firmly and Atemu sighed in defeat.
He lifted Cleo carefully from his lap and placed her beside the heating pad inside the pet carrier. She gave a sleepy mewl and accepted his apologetic pat on her head. She curled up and fell asleep almost instantly. Atemu smiled softly at the scene and turned to the group.
"Please don't wake her up. She was awake for ages last night and couldn't eat. She needs a rest." Yuugi's face light up with concern.
"Atemu! Why didn't you tell us? If she's sick-" Atemu cut him off.
"I'm sorry. She is still the smallest kitten and it's normal. It will take a bit longer before she can stomach so much. That's all. Nothing to worry about." Ryou looked apprehensively at the two. He had never seen them disagree before, ever. Bakura watched them and glanced at Ryou knowingly.
"Okay, guys…take it easy. Yuugi I'm sure Atemu just didn't want to worry you, that's all." Yuugi nodded somewhat stiffly and watched Atemu leave. "Bakura…" Ryou looked pleadingly at his dark who got off the bed and followed Atemu upstairs and closed the door behind him. Ryou placed a soothing hand on Yuugi's arm.
"Yuugi?" he coaxed.
"God, I'm sorry Ryou. He's been awake for hours. He looked after the shop all day today and the kittens last night. He said he had to because grandpa is away with Professor Hawkins. He must have forgotten. I'm sorry I overreacted."
"That's alright Yuugi, I think Atemu understands too. So how have you two been? Tell me honestly." Ryou looked at his best friend. They both looked so tired. Kittens really were a lot of work. Yuugi watched the kittens as they tumbled around, making sure they didn't get hurt.
"Can I ask you something, or at least ask for your advice?" Said Yuugi randomly. "I can't keep this to myself, its making me act all weird around everyone." Ryou shot him a blank look, but nodded nevertheless.
"Okay, Ryou. I'll start at the beginning. I'm really attracted to Atemu. He's gorgeous and intelligent and perfect." He said it with a tired but awed voice all the same.
"Have you told him yet?" inquired Ryou quietly. Yuugi shook his head and Ryou bit his lip in thought.
"I have no idea how to tell him. I couldn't bear if he rejected me. I could live in silence but I could never live with him thinking I'm disgusting." Ryou nodded. He had been there before with Bakura.
"Yuugi, you are his light. No matter what you do, he would always care about you. He has a right to know." Yuugi sighed. Facing your fears was never easy.
"Yeah. Last week grandpa cornered me in the kitchen and said Atemu was worried about me because I was blocking him out by not talking to him. It was because I wanted to tell him but I couldn't and they thought something was wrong. You know. It's been weird all week." Yuugi's face looked a bit upset by this.
"How do you mean weird, like it's hard to talk to each other?" asked Ryou. Yuugi nodded.
"I can't think of anything to say any more. All I can think of is him. I love how sweet he is with Cleo, he is never like that normally and I love that side of him. I wish he was like that for me." That sounded somewhat hopeful and Ryou knew what to do. He really had been in Yuugi's shoes before and he knew how frustrating it could get.
"It'll be okay Yuugi, you'll see!" He rubbed Yuugi's arm and turned their attention back to the kittens.
Bakura closed the door behind him, knowing that his light needed some time alone with Yuugi. But he needed to find out what was up with the Atemu. Man, the guy looked like shit. The guy needed to relax and let others do a little without him trying to do everything for everyone. He had found out long ago that being nice to everyone never helped, just a small few people.
He went to the end of the landing and up the curved stairs at the end. Rich paintings lined the walls along with some photos of the family. He knocked on the door and let himself in. Atemu looked up as he walked in.
"Is my light upset?" Bakura had no idea; he hadn't stayed to find out.
"No idea, I followed you. What's up your ass then?" Atemu sat down on his bed heavily with fatigue. Bakura leaned up against the door in a laid back fashion.
"Nothing is 'up my ass', as you so eloquently put it. There's just so much happening, that's all." He ran a hand through his hair wearily. Bakura watched him carefully.
"Oh yeah? Like what?"
Atemu growled. "Bakura, if you've come up here to infuriate me, I suggest you leave. I am in no mood to deal with you at the moment."
"I haven't. My light asked me to check on you. He's never seen you disagree with your midget before, frankly, neither have I. What's going on?" Atemu's ruby eyes gazed at Bakura and decided the Tomb robber was being sincere.
"Yuugi is not a midget. Like I said; there is a lot going on at the moment. We are caring for the kittens, looking after the house and the shop and it's all become a little much. Yuugi has been acting very strangely over the past few days. It's making me feel as though I've done something wrong. I'm not sure what to do." Bakura watched him. It was a little depressing seeing him this way.
"Okay, stop bullshitting. I know there's more to this. Now spill." Bakura hated sugar-coating things. It was cowardly.
"I love Yuugi." Atemu's body visibly sighed with relief that someone could see through him. It was a comfort sometimes for people to see him as a normal man and not some amazing person who could endure anything.
"There. That wasn't so hard now was it Pharaoh? Am I the only one that knows or does he?" Atemu shook his head.
"His grandfather knows. He guessed and asked me. He said I should let Yuugi come to me and give him some space. He seems to have a lot on his mind recently and I don't want to add to it." Bakura understood.
"Okay. Get some sleep so your midget doesn't kill me. See you later." He heard Atemu's growl and he switched the light off and closed the door. He needed to talk to Ryou.
In the meantime, Ryou had easily picked up the routine for the kittens. He got to know all the kittens and tried his best to keep Yuugi's mind away from Atemu. Bakura popped his head inside and caught Ryou's eye. Ryou glanced apologetically at Yuugi who understood and joined Bakura outside the door.
"So? Is everything okay with Atemu?" asked Ryou. Bakura nodded.
"Yeah. I can understand. He just needs a break. Stupid baka is trying to do everything." He almost rolled his eyes, but conceded that it wasn't the time.
"Yuugi told me something interesting. He is in love with his dark." Bakura eyes widened.
"Really? Well then problem solved." Ryou was confused. "The Pharaoh wants his light too. That's what caused the problem Ryou. Normally they could keep it in, but since they're under so much stress looking after the kittens, they can't juggle everything. That's why they're so tired and snippy."
Ryou understood perfectly. The question remained, what happens next?
"Should we tell them?" Bakura nodded and kissed Ryou softly. "Come on."
They went back into the guest room to Yuugi.
That night both Atemu and Yuugi were sleeping and Ryou and Bakura continued talking about earlier. They had settled on a course of action that they both agreed on. Ryou had fallen in love with the feisty kitten with the yellow band. He reminded Ryou of Bakura.
"Kura, can we adopt this little one? He's great!" Bakura shrugged.
"Why not? I've had more than my fair share of cats. Is it feeding time yet?" Ryou looked at the clock and then the plan Yuugi had left out for them.
"Yes. Cleo is still asleep though, should we wake her up?" Seeing Bakura nod, Ryou began stroking her gently. She raised a paw as if swatting the annoying object away and arched her body sleepily. Ryou continued and was amazed at how soft her fur was. He could really see why Atemu loved her so much. He didn't think Atemu would allow anyone to have her. She opened her eyes and mewled. Ryou scooped her up carefully and sat her on his lap. He offered her the bottle and she licked it and then tried to move away from it. Ryou redirected her and she struggled again.
"Kura…she doesn't want it." Bakura grimaced and squeezed some of the liquid onto his finger and she licked at it slightly before mewling softly. When she had finished it she continued licking his hand. Bakura knew what to do.
"Wait. Feed the others, and I'll be back in a minute." He put her down on the blanket and went downstairs. Ryou watched him leave and picked up his favourite who fed normally. After a few minutes the kitten decided it was full and Ryou burped him and took care of his other needs, before taking the next kitten. He glanced at Cleo who had curled up in a sleeping position again. He had a bad feeling. Bakura returned after a minute with a small eye-dropper. He looked at Ryou.
"I know what's wrong. She had a rough night and she missed a feeding or two. That means she's dehydrated and she's too tired to suckle. That's why she licked my hand." Ryou nodded, but he was still worried. He proceeded to allowing a few drops to stay on her tongue before massaging her throat so she would swallow. Ryou continued with the others and watched nervously. After a few minutes Cleo seemed at ease and Bakura barely had to do anything. He tried her with the bottle again and she took it willingly. Ryou happily kissed Bakura on the cheek.
Afterwards they watched the kittens and stayed up talking and decided on a name for their kitten when Atemu came in. It was his watch apparently. The kittens were sleeping and didn't need to feed again for a few hours. They both greeted him when he came in and saw how tired they were. He offered them his bed as it was the only double bed in the house and they deserved a rest after the work they had done. He thanked them both again and they went to bed.
The next morning everyone woke up surprisingly rested. Atemu hadn't done much the night before and had slept well. Ryou had decided to cook breakfast since cooking was his strong point. Yuugi set about making individual cups of tea and coffee. Ryou wanted black tea, Atemu wanted Mocha chino and Bakura wanted cappuccino. Yuugi wanted plain old fashioned orange juice. They all gathered around the table and Ryou began loading their plates with eggs and bacon and so on. Bakura grabbed some bread and prepared his breakfast the way he liked it. Yuugi served the drinks and they enjoyed their meal.
At the end, Bakura burped loudly. Ryou muttered some incoherent apology to the general table and lowered his red face. Bakura drained his coffee and cleared his throat.
"Alright. There are a few things we have to deal with. First things first, Ryou and I have to tell you, that we would like one of your kittens. The one with the yellow band to be precise." Ryou smiled and Yuugi was surprised. Bakura continued. "Ryou wants to name him Mocha, because of what Yuugi said yesterday. It fits with his personality and coat."
Atemu looked at them both and considered it. He knew them both well enough to know that they would be responsible pet owners and knew Mocha as they had dubbed him, would be well cared for and loved. He said as much.
"I don't have a problem with that. But obviously, you'll have to wait until he's little older before you cane talk him home." At this Yuugi smiled and Ryou and Bakura both nodded. It was common sense after all. Bakura continued.
"Moving on, Cleo had a bit of trouble feeding last night, but I sorted it out. She was a bit dehydrated after missing those feeds and was too tired to take the bottle from me. So I used a dropper and helped her. She should be fine, but at least you know and you can both deal with it now." He paused at Yuugi and Atemu's worried faces, but made a hand motion to assure them that it was all in the past and well taken care of. Once they were put at ease again, he made one final comment.
"Now, I'd like you to repeat to the table what you said to me yesterday Atemu."
Bakura settled back in his chair, fully aware that Yuugi was the only clueless person at the table. Atemu hesitated and looked at Bakura. Bakura shot him a glance that said, if you don't tell him, I will.
He looked desperately at Ryou who said aloud, "I agree Atemu. Now is the time for the secrets to come out. It's okay. No one at this table will think any differently about you. I know."
Yuugi was now thoroughly confused and looked around the table for answers. Atemu sighed and then took a deep breath.
"Yuugi…I... have feelings for you. I…" he faltered as Yuugi caught his eye. Ryou looked at Yuugi. His eyes plainly said 'be nice'. Yuugi decided to help him out. He stood up, his face blank and Atemu lowered his head in defeat. Yuugi came to a stop at his chair and Atemu looked up. They locked eyes and Yuugi smiled. He leaned down and kissed Atemu.
Atemu was so surprised that he forgot to respond. Yuugi nibbled lightly on his lower lip and the kiss got deeper. Atemu kissed him back as Yuugi wrapped a hand around his neck. Kissing Atemu was the most amazing thing Yuugi had ever done. All the secrets, the relief, the joy; everything poured out into the kiss. Their tongues swirled and moved passionately together, and they couldn't get enough.
A loud wolf whistle broke the pair apart. Apparently they had forgotten they had an audience. Yuugi went bright red and decided to leave the room, mumbling something about the kittens. Ryou and Bakura's eyes followed his movements with amusement. Atemu chuckled richly.
He couldn't believe it. Yuugi wanted him! He looked seriously at Ryou and Bakura and thanked the pair for everything they had done. Ryou and Bakura simply smiled and gathered up their coats. They extended their offer of help whenever it was needed and Bakura helped his light with his coat. Ryou waved and closed the door. Their work was done! The rest was up to Yuugi and Atemu.
Hey again! Nice to see the response to this story, its amazing and I am so moved. My favourite part was the playful banter between Bakura and Atemu in this chapter. I did also love how Bakura intervened and saved Cleo, so yay for Bakura! Again thank you all for your kind works, constructive criticism and ideas. They are invaluable to me and help me to get better all the time.
Heidlebergchick