A/N: This chapter is a longer one! Lots of line breaks ahead but, there is a lot going on and, I didn't want to waste words on any boring, non-plot driving stuff. :)


Chapter Seven


Yugi was obsessed.

It had been a week since Yami had given him the puzzle and from the moment he'd clicked the first piece into place, Yugi couldn't stop. It seemed impossible that something so complex could come together so quickly but, after a few hours of working on it, he'd fit more than half the pieces together.

He examined the half-finished puzzle in front of him, fiddling with the piece in his hand. At first, he had assumed the puzzle was a cube but as he fit more and more of the pieces together it looked to be shaping into a pyramid. He snapped the next piece in place, slumping back in his chair as he glanced at the time.

It had been two hours since he'd been home from work, and he'd spent the last hour of it wasting in front of the puzzle. He couldn't help it. There was something exhilarating about watching the gold take shape and as encouraged as he was with his progress, he was already lamenting the moment when last piece was in place, the challenge finally solved.

His phone buzzed beside him, and he checked the text from Mana.

It was her second reminder of the day not to be late for dinner. Yugi sighed, gathering the puzzle pieces and laying them back in the box. He was due to the Industrial Illusions bi-annual stakeholders meeting in less than two hours, and if he didn't put the puzzle away now, he'd probably spend the rest of night holed up in his apartment.

Yugi had received his invitation to the meeting five days ago, courtesy of his supervisor who had told him that Crawford-sama had been so impressed by his work on his last two tournaments that he had issued Yugi a special invite. When Mana had found out, she'd practically fainted at his feet. Apparently, Crawford-sama's idea of a "meeting" had nothing to do with stale coffee and stiff boardroom chairs, and instead featured an eight straight quartet, open bar, and cater waiters.

The invitation list was exclusive and comprised of the wealthy investors and partners, and higher ups of the Industrial Illusions hierarchy. Yugi had, had to rent a tux, courtesy of the "black-tie-only" printed in fine print at the bottom of the invitation. He had no excuse not to go, especially since his social calendar had been growing dismal with Ryuji not answering his calls or texts.

The only caveat was the probability of Yami showing up. Yugi couldn't exactly ask his boss whether the King of Games would be making an appearance but, he had a sinking suspicion that with his status and relationship with Crawford-sama, Yami Atemu was most definitely on the guest list.

Standing from his desk, Yugi ran his fingers through his hair. He hadn't spoken to Yami in a week, and his stomach was already dancing with nerves just at the thought of running into him – in a tux. Wiping the image from his mind, Yugi squared his shoulders.

He was determined to keep his cool.


Yugi hated being short sometimes.

He stood up on his tiptoes, trying to see around the fifty plus heads bobbing in front of him. As a gala space in Domino's Museum of Natural History, the room was immense, with a ceiling that arched overhead and tapered into glass skylights showcasing the night sky.

The middle of the room was filled with twirling couples, dancing a complicated looking waltz that was beautiful but way beyond Yugi's swaying capabilities. Dining tables fanned out in a circle around the dance floor, an executive table standing at the room's head. The room was charged with energy, laughter spilling over the music as people milled about the room with cocktails and white napkins loaded with appetizers.

Yugi felt completely out of place.

Forcing his shoulders back, he made his way through the crowd, searching for his table. He resisted the urge to fidget as he made his way around the room, checking table cards. It took him a few minutes to make a complete circuit, and he was stumped as he made his way back to the start. His invitation said "Table: H" but, all of the tables were numbered with numbers not letters.

Pulling aside a waitress carrying a tray of cocktails, he pulled his invitation from his pocket and showed it to her, asking for direction.

She tilted her head, eyebrow arched and dark hair spilling over her shoulder. "'H' as in head table, sir," she said. She pointed towards the elevated table overseeing the dance floor, empty at the moment but soon to hold the elite and Crawford-sama himself.

Yugi took a long breath. Seriously?

The panic must have been written on his face because the waitress handed him a cocktail, unprompted, before disappearing into the crowd.


Yugi sensed the minute Yami walked into the room.

He turned from his conversation companion, a fresh-faced historian and honorary guest of Crawford-sama that he'd met at the bar a few minutes ago, and spotted Yami descending the steps. The clean, tailored lines of his tuxedo clung to his frame, and Yugi's heart skipped faster as Yami scanned the crowd.

Whipping back around, Yugi tried to focus, gulping down some of the seltzer he'd traded for the cocktail a few minutes ago. He needed to keep his wits about him, especially if he was going to be sitting a few chairs down from his boss' boss.

"Are you feeling alright, Yugi-san?" his companion, Malik, said. His forehead was creased in concern, pale violet eyes watching him as if he was about to faint to the ground at any moment. "Your face went completely white for a second."

"I'm fine," Yugi said, pulling on his collar.

Malik frowned at him, but his eyes widened as his gaze wondered somewhere over Yugi's shoulder. A grin split across his face, hand raised in a wave.

Don't be Yami. Don't be Yami.

"Malik," a voice greeted. Yugi's stomach clenched as a hand slid across his back, settling there, followed by Yami stopping beside him. "Yugi."

Yugi glanced up, meeting crimson. "Hi," he said. That was literally the only word Yugi could force out of his mouth. It was taking every fiber of his being not to slide over a few extra inches to brush against Yami's side and ease the knot that was ratcheting tighter and tighter under his sternum.

"I met Yugi a few minutes ago," Malik said, raising his eyebrows. "You didn't tell me he would be here."

Why would Yami tell him whether or not I would be here? Yugi wondered, confused. Yami's hand was still resting against his back, but he didn't make a move to step forward. The calm was sliding through him again, a welcome distraction from the anxiety that had been twisting inside of him from the moment he'd stepped inside.

"I wasn't aware you would be here," Yami said. "I assumed you were still in Egypt."

Malik shook his head, the ice in his glass rattling. "Isis needed my help setting up her new exhibit. It's right down the hall." He pointed to one of the roped off museum access points. "It opens next month."

"Mariku isn't here with you?" Yami said, scanning the room.

"I told him not to bother," Malik said, shaking his head. "He scares everyone away every time I drag him to a party." He rolled his eyes. "He and Bakura are probably running around together doing something illegal by now."

Yugi forced himself to keep a straight face.

"Would you mind if I spoke to Yugi alone for a moment?" Yami said.

Crap.

"Of course!" Malik said. "I told Isis I would get her a drink and well," he held up the empty glass in his hand, "I owe her a new one." He winked, walking back towards the bar.

"Are you feeling alright?" Yami said, eying him.

"I'm fine!" Yugi snapped. Okay, anger – that's new.

Yami was silent.

Yugi took a breath. "Ryuji and I broke up," he said. There was the smallest curl to Yami's lips, and Yugi instantly regretted sharing.

"You are troubled over it?"

We are so not going there. "I finished half the puzzle," Yugi said, changing the subject.

Yami's eyebrows rose. "Already?"

"I have no idea how," Yugi said, admitted. "I swear that the thing is assembling itself. I pick up a piece, and it snaps right into place."

"Interesting," Yami said. His face remained neutral, as if the admission hadn't surprised him.

They stood in silence for a moment.

"So - where are you sitting?" Yugi said.

"Next to you."

Of course you are.

"Our hosts have entered," Yami said.

Yugi whipped his around, spotting Pegasus and Cyndia Crawford lingering in the entrance. A group of people moved in the way, and Yugi could only make out the top of the pair's heads, a round of applause echoing through the room.

"We should join our table," Yami said.

Nodding, Yugi's gaze lingered on the couple making their way through the crowd. He didn't comment as Yami took his arm, leading him to the front of the room.

"Are you the reason I'm sitting up here?" Yugi said once they were settled. He had been mortified to discover that only Yami was sitting between him and Crawford-sama's chair. From this vantage point, Yugi could see the couple circulating the room, all smiles as they shook hands and distributed hugs.

"Perhaps," Yami said, the corner of his mouth lifting.

That would be a yes.

The couple moved closer, and Yugi studied them. Pegasus Crawford looked no older than forty but, his hair was grey, shimmering in a silver curtain that flowed down to mid-back. He was wearing a crimson tuxedo, the color a perfect complement to the accents running the length of his wife's ball gown, her blonde curls pinned back in a twist laced with a matching ribbon. A ridge of goose bumps raised on Yugi's arm as the older man's Millennium Eye glinted under the lights of the chandelier.

Yugi turned back to Yami. "Why though?" he said. "There has to be a reason you wanted me up here."

"Other than spending time with you?"

"We could have done that sitting at any other table," Yugi pointed out.

Yami watched him. "Pegasus and Cyndia wanted to meet you."

Yugi blanched. "How do they even know who I am?"

Shrugging, Yami was saved by the swelling of the orchestra, drawing attention to the couple ascending the steps to the main table. Yugi sucked down a breath, watching as the Crawfords slid into their seats.


Yugi had never met anyone like Pegasus Crawford.

The older man laughed over his tea cup, wiping tears from his eyes as he regained his breath. He was enthralled by one of his companion's stories, and for the first time since the Crawfords had sat, Yugi took a breath. After welcoming their guests and congratulating them on another successful year of business, the couple had zeroed in on Yami and Yugi.

They had spent the entire salad, soup, and entrée course grilling Yugi on everything and anything and, at the sake of not offending his boss' boss and his boss' boss' wife, he'd spilled practically every detail about his life in the span of forty minutes. They hadn't taken their attention off of him until the dinner plates had been cleared a few minutes ago.

On the other side of Pegasus, Cyndia smiled at Yugi. She was much more reserved than Yugi had imagined, leaving most of the interrogation to Pegasus, but when she did speak, her voice was strong, commanding the table. Yugi returned the smile, dropping his gaze to the dessert that had been placed in front of him.

After forty minutes of the longest game of twenty questions of his life, he was exhausted.

"I apologize," Yami said, as if sensing the lethargy pulsing through Yugi's veins. "I was unaware their questions would be so numerous. I would have warned you otherwise."

"It's fine," Yugi said. He reached out without thinking, fingers brushing the older boy's leg, hoping to ease the tension in his frame.

Yami stiffened, head snapping towards him, wide eyed, and, Yugi jerked back his hand.

"Sorry," Yugi mumbled. He tucked his hand in his lap, finding his dessert plate suddenly fascinating as he dropped his gaze to the sponge cake in front of him. What were you thinking!

The silence stretched, endless, and Yugi hoped the ground would split, swallow him whole, and put him out of his misery.

He froze as Yami's hand slid over his leg. After a beat, the older boy leaned closer. "You surprised me," Yami said. The heat of his hand seeped through Yugi's dress pants, breath warm against his ear. "You have never initiated contact between us before."

Yugi could not bring himself to look away from the plate in front of him. His cheeks were blazing with the fire of a pot set to boil but, he didn't move away. The calm was filling him again, robbing him of his anxiety and loosening the ache in his chest as he forced himself to nod.

Yami didn't remove his hand until they stood from their seats more than an hour later.


Yugi could barely keep his eyes open.

Beside him, Yami was leaning back against his seat, jacket undone and his tie loosened as the car slowed for a red light. It hadn't taken much arm twisting for Yugi to accept the older boy's offer to have his car service take him home and once they had settled inside, it had taken all of Yugi's force of will not to curl up in a ball and fall asleep. It was barely past midnight but, he was running on empty.

The car was silent as they drove, each lost in their own thoughts, and even Yami's eyes were starting to flutter by the time they neared Yugi's building. It seemed even the King of Games got tired. Shadows were ringing the older boy's eyes, his face pale as he turned and met Yugi's gaze.

"You have to go all the way back to Ozu tonight?" Yugi said.

Yami nodded.

Yugi bit his lip. It would really be rude not to offer, especially considering that Yami had made the entire party more bearable, fun even. "If you want to stay with me tonight, you can," Yugi said. "On the couch, I mean."

Yami face was calm, but his eyes seemed to darken as they met Yugi's. He raised his hand, and Yugi's heart jackhammered in his chest, his body frozen as he sat captive under Yami's stare. He trailed his fingers down the side of Yugi's face, before settling under his chin, tilting his head up.

Yugi wasn't sure how long they sat like that, just looking at each other, before Yami spoke.

"I am tempted," Yami said, "but, accepting your offer would be to tempt fate." He lowered his hand, but his eyes stayed on Yugi.

Yugi heard what he'd said, every confusing bit of it. He really had. But, in that moment, his mind was far more interested in the foot of space between him and Yami, and how much better the entire situation would be if he was twelve inches closer. Shaking his head, Yugi dropped his gaze and tried to recapture his brain before it boarded its midnight flight to la-la-land and gave him an excuse to do something stupid, like throw himself in Yami's lap.

"Yugi," Yami said.

Yugi looked up. "Huh?"

"We've arrived at your apartment."

Yugi turned, spotting his building out the window. "Sorry," he said, fumbling with his seatbelt. It took him a moment before he stepped out, the air icy with the bite of winter and the street deserted. He jammed his hands in his pockets, leaning back to look in the car. "Thank you for the ride."

Yami nodded. "Goodnight."

Yugi started to close the door and stopped. "Do you want to hang out?" he said. "I mean, next week – would you like to hang out – with me?"

Yami watched him for a moment, his lips curling in a slow smile. "Yes," he said. "I would enjoy that."

"Okay then," Yugi said. He rocked back on his heels. "Well, goodnight."

"Goodnight," Yami repeated.

Yugi shut the door, a smile cracking across his face as he ascended the steps to his building.