Alia: I'm so ashamed as I should be working harder on HHR. Problem is I'm at an awkward area of that story, but it was expected (for me). There is behind the scenes violence towards a child just to let you know, and uh... I'm trying to decide how explicit I'll be next chapter.
Reviewers: dragonlady222, InuYoiushi - Thanks for reviewing guys! Yes, Yami's (sorta) ex did kill his wives and felt he had a good reason to do so. You'll find out more in upcoming chapters.
If you'd like, I did a oneshot for Valentine's Day. It's Monarchshipping and called Someday.
Enjoy.
Title: Shadow Illusions
Author: Alia D
Part 8/?
Rating: R
Pairing: Yami (Atem)/ ?, eventual Puzzleshipping
Spoilers: YGO series
Warnings: Het, Yaoi, Language, Violence, Egyptian mythology
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh anime series, or the game or anything else that I might mention. I am making no money with this.
Summary: Love should be easy, but between Yami's reluctance, Yugi's persistence, former lovers, and a shadowy intruder, it's anything but.
Author's notes: This is more of a filler than a complete chapter but you do get information and some insight. Besides, think of this chapter as the calm before the storm.
Shadow Illusions 8
Rubbing his forehead, his headache growing, Atem sighed and tried to relax the painful tension in his shoulders and back. The deep breaths did little to help and Yami's brain throbbed. He hadn't known that things would change so much. Things had started off well at first. He certainly didn't expect fatherhood to be this stressful so soon.
"Hayato," Yami began with a quietly suffering tone. He didn't want his son to see how frustrated he was becoming. "You know hitting your friends isn't right. You shouldn't fight someone unless they're hurting you."
It didn't seem as if the child had heard a word. Pouting, Hayato sat in the chair behind Atem's desk. With his arms crossed, the little boy stared off into the space behind his adopted father, kicking his feet insolently. The little boy hadn't said a word since his father had seen him stomp off after punching another child in the arm.
Yami closed his eyes. And to think, the whole matter was over a stick of glue. The Egyptian wondered if banning the sticky item would make everything better.
In truth, Yami was more shocked than anything. Hayato was not a naturally violent child, but that hadn't stopped him from punching Kuro hard in the shoulder before shoving the older boy to the ground. While Atem had stood stunned, Hayato had looked at his friend with an encompassing rage before stomping off to a corner where the rest of the students avoided him for a while.
"Hayato, isn't Kuro your friend? Even if he hates rabbit food?" Yami tried to get a smile or a less angry reaction out of his son. Instead, Hayato curled a bit more into his seat and said nothing.
Atem couldn't help be a bit hurt. Hayato had always told him everything, even things Yami didn't need or want to know. But here was his five-year-old being utterly quiet on a subject for once.
"Hayato, did Kuro do something bad?" Not that Atem thought so. After Kuro's unhappy wails had settled, the boy had told Atem that he'd only wanted to use some glue for his picture. Feeling his worry, impatience, and displeasure growing, Yami snapped at his unhappy child. "Hayato!"
Yami bit his lip as the small glimpse of his temper made Hayato flinch. The young father felt horrible seeing the minute glance in his direction, especially as Hayato's eyes were beginning to swell with tears. Unfortunately, his son remained silent. It was obvious to see how upset he was. It deepened Yami's thoughts that something wasn't quite right.
If there was one feeling Atem had learned to despise, it was being helpless. Yami did not want to stand in front of his miserable little boy with no way to help him, and the Egyptian was sure that his little one needed help. He felt that he had to do something. Hayato was his child; the only child that Yami was likely to have considering his love life.
Despondent at Hayato's sad, yet continually defiant, expression, Atem sighed before reaching over and picking his little boy up from the chair. Cradling Hayato gently in his arms, Yami turned with Hayato and sat in his chair, positioning his son in his lap. Wrapping his arms tight around the little boy, Atem let out soft sigh. He rubbed the five-year-old's back gently. "Hayato, please? What happened today? Why did you hit your friend?"
A rush of concern fell over Yami when Hayato dropped his eyes and head. He pulled the small body deeper into his arms. "Did Kuro hit you to get the glue? Did he say something bad? If he did, I can tell his mother."
Hayato sniffled and shook his head. The silence was slowly killing his father because Hayato was never quiet. Shy, but not quiet. Even when the little boy was asleep, he often whined, kicked, or even gave a little snore in bed.
"Hayato, please. Don't you trust me?" Yami pressed a kiss to the red locks. "Please, Hayato. Don't you want to tell Daddy what's wrong?"
Yami was thankful that those words seemed to have the most effect. Hayato sniffled, his wet eyes spilling over enough to release a few tears. The little boy buried his face into Yami's shoulder and curled up into this father. He mumbled into Atem's shirt, "N-not suppose to tell."
The words sent a shiver down Yami's spine as various scenarios, none of them pleasant, ran through his mind. "Who said you can't tell me, Hayato? You know you can tell me anything."
Hayato shivered. Raising a hand to rub his wet face, the five-year-old muttered, "Kenzaburo."
Atem let his mind run the name through its system before he frowned. The new father was suddenly worried. Yami carefully cupped his son's chin before raising the sad face up to look at him. "Your roommate at the orphanage? Hayato, what did he tell you not to tell me?"
The little boy looked hesitant making Yami narrow his eyes. He had a feeling he was about to hear something he'd hate. "Come on. What happened? Why did it make you hit Kuro?"
Hayato's eyes flooded. A sob shook the little boy. Hayato yelled, "B-because I don't like it!"
"Hayato!" Atem stared at his distraught little boy.
"I-," Hayato's voice broke with tears. "I-I don't l-like people takin' stuff! It's mine! Daddy, it's mine! It's n-not f-fair! It's m-my stuff!"
Hearing the hysteria growing in the little boy's eyes, Yami decided to wait for answers. Hugging his small son close, Atem shushed the little boy, doing his best to provide comfort.
"Atem." The older woman began with a shaking voice. "I-I am so very sorry. If I'd had any idea-!"
Yami was quick to interrupt. She was as upset as he was about this whole thing. However, while she was currently upset, Atem was bone-weary from his own anger and Hayato's sudden burst of emotion. Unfortunately, the exhaustion didn't negate his responsibilities, such as informing Kumiko-san of the situation. "It's fine. Honestly, Kumiko-san. I just don't think it would be a good idea for Hayato to stay in the orphanage anymore. It probably wasn't a good idea anyway."
"We both thought it was for the best, Atem. You wanted to do the best for Hayato." Yami heard a heavy sigh from the matron. "I guess neither of us expected this to happen."
Atem's jaw clenched. His eyes flared with something ancient and dark. "No. No, we didn't."
No, Yami didn't expect his little boy to have a breakdown. He also didn't expect Hayato to shamefully reveal the fist-sized bruise that covered most of his arm. Atem didn't expect that the two boys sharing a room with Hayato would bully the boy because of the adoption. And no, Yami didn't expect that one of the boys often stole some of the few things Hayato owned, including gifts from his father.
Sitting on the couch and propping his elbows on his knees, the Egyptian scrubbed a hand over his face as the other held the phone to his ear. He didn't dare put the speaker on. While the walls of his apartment weren't paper thin, they were thin enough that Atem didn't want to speak loudly. He didn't want Hayato to hear.
Hayato was currently playing in the bathtub with a large amount of bubbles to add to his play. After Yami's son had calmed down, Hayato had confessed about the bullying, the stealing, and the threats. Apparently, when Kuro had taken the glue from Hayato at the Kindergarten, the little boy had lashed out in anger thanks to previous circumstances.
Atem had to admit that the only reason he hadn't done anything foolish was because Hayato needed him to stay calm. Eleven-year-old or not, those two bullies had hurt his son mentally, physically, and emotionally. It took a lot of willpower for Yami not to strangle anyone.
"Anyway, I think Hayato will have to stay here with me until I find a bigger place. I'll pick up his things later this week. Can you please gather all of his things together? Including the missing items." The items weren't much. Anything else that was taken had already been recovered by Hayato. A box of crayons, a picture book, a hat, and a small pack of Duel Monster cards from Atem were still missing. Still, for an orphan, what little they had was everything.
Kumiko's voice sounded pissed and not like the kindly matron she usually was. "Oh, don't you worry. I'll make certain all of his things are ready. But he is doing better?"
"He's fine. I think he feels better now that he's told someone. He's a bit sad and tired but back to himself." Hayato wasn't that angry, silent child anymore. "We've had dinner and he'll fall asleep the minute he's in pajamas."
"Good. He'll need the rest. Both of you will. I am still so very sorry, Atem. I thought we had kept a better eye on our children."
Yami thought he'd been keeping a good eye on his own. It was nice to know that even those experienced with children had screwed up too. "Like I said. It's fine. I wish it hadn't happened, but nothing turns out perfectly." Life often turned out that way.
"Very true, dear. But I'll leave you boys be for the night, and I'll be sure to have Hayato's things ready for pickup."
"Thank you, Kumiko-san. We'll see you soon." Ending his call, Atem realized that as much as he appreciated the older woman, hopefully he wouldn't see her for a while.
Yami closed his eyes as he leaned back against the couch completely exhausted. His head was beginning to throb painfully, but he wasn't finished for the night. He had another phone call to make before bed. He hated disturbing Manabu's time with his family, but Yami figured that since the man's wife was the other agent, it couldn't hurt to announce his decision.
Closing his eyes to block out the light, Atem listened to the ringing of his cell in one ear while Hayato's splashing echoed into the other. A rather amused Manabu answered the phone. Yami felt lucky to have caught him in such a good mood. "Good evening, Manabu."
"Atem? I didn't expect you this time of night." There was a hint of surprise and concern in the older man's voice. The realtor knew the Egyptian wasn't the type to call so late.
"I know." Yami sighed and raised a free hand to rub his forehead. He opened his eyes to stare at the white ceiling. "You have my deepest apologies, Manabu-san, but something has come up. I need you to drop the deal on the house."
"What?" Manabu exclaimed over the phone, honestly surprised. It was true that they weren't making much headway with his wife's stubborn idiot of a client, but Atem had honestly loved the property. Manabu couldn't help but be a bit surprised.
Yami repeated his request. "I need you to drop the offer on the house."
"But why? You loved that place. Hayato was excited also."
"Yes, but I made my son a promise that he'd have his own bedroom soon. That can't happen if I keep fighting with the homeowner over an offer." Atem leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "I'm sorry to drop this on you, Manabu, but I think we should just keep looking for apartments."
After a moment of silence, Manabu hesitantly spoke over the line. "Atem, can I ask if something has happened? Why the sudden change?"
Yami barked a bitter laugh before he could choke it back. "I've been thinking about it for the last two weeks actually, but you're right that something did happen. I had to pull Hayato out of the orphanage earlier than planned. Apparently a couple of boys were bullying him because he's being adopted."
Another silent pause from Manabu was rather telling. "I'm sorry, Atem."
"Not as much as I am. What kind of father am I? I didn't even realize it." The despondent father dropped his head into his hands. How could he take care of Hayato long term when he was doing such a poor job already?
"You cannot blame yourself for this!" Manabu had only needed that afternoon to see how dedicated Atem was to Hayato.
"You didn't see the look on Hayato's face when I got him to tell me, Manabu. I only found out because he'd started lashing out at his classmates. And tonight, he showed me bruises from those little monsters hitting him. Hitting a five-year-old because they're jealous!" Yami struggled to keep his voice down. He didn't want Hayato hearing anything. It was difficult when Yami felt like screaming. "And I didn't see anything."
"And you still can't blame yourself. If you had known earlier, you would have taken action just like you obviously have." The realtor's heart went out to the new father. He could only hope the best for Atem. "Now as for the offer, I'll let my wife know. If you'd like, we can look for a few new apartments and homes this weekend."
Yami sat up straight. He still felt awful but was better thanks to Manabu's words. "I think this weekend will be great, and let's just keep to apartments. Hayato is young so there's time to grown. And, I'm willing to expand out to different neighborhoods this time. I'd like to stay near the kindergarten's general area though."
Looking behind him to the wall that separated the living area and the bath, Atem could hear the splashing quiet indicating that Hayato had finished his bath. "Thank you, Manabu, for all of the help. I have to go. It's Hayato's bedtime."
"That's fine! I'll call you tomorrow to set up times for this weekend. I already have a couple I think you'll like."
"Sounds good. Thank you again, Manabu." After a return of farewells, Atem stood and headed into the kitchen for the bathroom door. He knocked gently on the frosted glass door. "Hayato, are you done?"
"Yes! I'm getting dry now!"
At the soft shout, Yami opened the door to see a small figure wrapped up in at least four large white towels from head to toe. Standing on the bathroom rug, Hayato had two large towels over his head and shoulders while the others were wrapped around his shoulders and waist. Much to Yami's amusement, the child had wrapped two hand towels around his feet.
Shaking his head, Atem walked over and after taking a towel, he dried his child. He decided not to scold the little one for going into excess.
Staring down at his cell phone, Yugi tightened his hand around the slender device. Yami sounded so discouraged when he explained the need to resume his apartment search. It was difficult for Yugi to imagine someone purposely hurting Hayato. He was such a sweet little boy. The duelist was grateful that at least Yami had found out. Things could have been much worse.
Ryou nudged his friend, offering a comforting smile. "Give it time, Yugi. Yami and Hayato will be fine."
Shifting his cloth grocery bag to sit securely on his shoulder, Yugi nodded contemplatively. "Yes. I just wish they hadn't had this setback."
Ryou agreed. "That's true, but you should try to look at things optimistically. Hayato is living with his father now. And, Yami and Hayato have gone through their first trial as father and son."
Picking up a six count pack of eggs, Yugi smiled ruefully. "And come out the better for it. Still, I wish it hadn't happened at all."
"So do I. What is Hayato-kun like, Yugi?" Ryou headed down the tight grocery aisle followed by his shorter friend. His eyes were on a carton of milk.
Yugi teased his friend. "What? You can't wait until this weekend?"
Ryou threw him a blushing smile. Yami had decided to hold a small meet and greet at his place. He wanted his friends to finally meet his son. Everyone was excited to meet the new addition and nearly their whole group would be there. Ryou wouldn't admit it, but the only reason he'd go was because Bakura couldn't make it.
And Ryou wasn't ready for that meeting yet.
The white haired man shrugged, sliding around a rather pregnant young woman to get to the industrial fridges for milk. "I'm just so curious! It came as a complete surprise that Yami would adopt a little boy."
Yugi contemplated that as Ryou checked the milk dates. "I can't say it was a surprise."
Ryou pulled out a carton, looking curiously at Yugi as he sat it in his plastic basket. "Really? Everyone else is pretty shocked."
Yugi nodded with amusement. He remembered the long silence on the line after Yugi told Kaiba. "Yes, but Yami and Hayato always – How do I say this? They always clicked. Like two puzzle pieces. They make a whole picture when you put them together."
Smiling, Ryou said, "Then I should bring my camera to the party."
The other man snorted softly as they worked their way through the aisles. "Don't bother. Anzu is so excited about being an Auntie she can barely contain herself."
"Does that make you Uncle Yugi?" Darting in the rice and pasta aisle, Ryou gave his friend a sly smile, "Or would you prefer Daddy Yugi?"
Yugi's face slowly flushed dark red. Wasn't Anzu enough? Did Ryou have to torment him too? "Ryou! That's not funny!"
"I think you'd make a wonderful father with Yami, Yugi!" Ryou's smile grew. He handed the embarrassed man a large bag of white rice. "Think of how happy Hayato would be."
Yugi sighed, his face and ears rather red. "I doubt that will ever happen. I still haven't uh… confessed."
Ryou gave Yugi an understanding look. If anyone knew how complicated relationships were it was Ryou. Look at the mess he was currently avoiding. "And Yami hasn't figured it out either?"
"I almost wish he would. I've been waiting for so long, Ryou." Yugi grabbed a bag of wheat noodles. "First, I had to figure things out, and now, I'm trying to get the courage to reveal it. But every single time I try, I fail!"
Ryou pat his friend on the shoulder. Yugi's frustration seemed to be growing with himself and Yami. "So nothing you've planned with Anzu is working?"
Yugi was still humiliated that Anzu was helping. The shame increased with the knowledge that Ryou knew about it. "No. Nothing so far. I mean there have been a couple of close calls," Yugi had a flashback from movie night nearly a month ago, "But nothing has happened."
"You'll have to tell him someday, Yugi. It's terrible that you have to keep this up."
The other man looked at Ryou while the taller man pulled a can from the shelf. "I'm not the only one that can say that."
Pausing, Ryou glanced at Yugi to see the seriousness in his eyes. He shook his head and continued down the aisle. "No, Yugi. Please don't bring that up."
"Wait, Ryou!" Yugi took a quicker pace to catch up to his friend. "You know I wouldn't bring it up unless necessary."
"There's nothing to talk about or bring up." Ryou kept his gaze determinedly straight forward. However, he stumbled at Yugi's next words.
"Like the restraining order?"
Ryou's shoulders slumped and his quick pace halted. "That was necessary. He came to the University laboratories again! He's not allowed there."
Yugi nodded. "That's true but the restraining order? Wasn't that a bit much?"
"No!" Ryou exclaimed. He blushed as he drew a few disapproving looks. He turned back to Yugi. "No, it's not. He pops up at my classes, he follows me to places, and he's always calling me! He's practically stalking me!"
Purple eyes looked solemn. "So why won't you talk to him and end all this?"
Ryou's answer was surprisingly frank. "Because I am angry, Yugi, and I can't work past it. I just want him out of my life. Is that too much to ask?"
Yugi dropped his eyes. He didn't dare answer aloud. If you were a hikari, it was too much to ask.
"So what do you think?" Manabu walked across the glossy hardwood floor toward the large floor to ceiling window. The stack of realty papers in his hands rustled as he moved. "Not a bad price for the location."
"It's huge. I certainly can appreciate the space. I'm still not used to the closer spaces in Japan." Yami walked toward Manabu, his footsteps echoing through the empty apartment. "This is the largest apartment so far. I like that the kitchen is separate and rather large."
Yami looked out the large balcony window. "And both bedrooms are larger than I expected and no management fees whatsoever."
"But you still don't like the place? You have this conflicted look." Manabu smiled. He wasn't that fond of the apartment himself, even if it was a top listing, but he was a real estate agent. His job was to get Atem to buy something.
The Egyptian looked apologetic. "Not really. The place is a great size for Hayato and I but too dated. I don't like the patio behind the bedrooms. The outdoor space looks like a back alley. One jump over that fence and someone could walk through the glass doors." Domino was a relatively safe city, but that didn't stop Yami from being a paranoid father.
"Besides, I resent having to pay for a separate parking space." It figured, Yami thought, that the place was near perfect and he found reasons to hate it. He did feel a little guilty for working Manabu so hard. Their current location was minutes from the Kindergarten and under Atem's projected budget. The apartment just didn't feel like a home.
Manabu nodded. "Well, then I have one more place to show you for the day. You said you had to be back by five o'clock?"
"That's when Hayato's class ends." Yami nodded. He'd put Hayato into Saturday classes for children at Bakura's dojo. He didn't want his son to be helpless against any one that would harm him in the future. Today was Hayato's first class and since Bakura wasn't the teacher, Atem felt fine leaving the child there.
"Then that will give us plenty of time. This next place is a little smaller and just out of your neighborhood. The location is about 10 minutes away."
Yami grimaced. "By car or train?"
Manabu lost a burst of laughter. He'd never met anyone that hated the trains as much as Atem. "By car or motorcycle. You will be at least a 10 to 15 minute walk from all the trains."
"I like the place already." Both men startled when Yami's phone rang. "I'm sorry, Manabu. Just give me a minute and we can leave."
"I'll wait for you by the door!" Manabu walked toward the door, shuffling the papers in his hands. He turned off the lights on his way.
Atem answered the phone after a glance at the caller ID. It said Feminist Cheer-Dancing Psycho. "What are you up to, Anzu?"
He received a delighted laugh. "Yami! How could you ever think I'm up to something?"
Yami replied flatly. "Experience."
Anzu blew off his comment immediately. "Whatever. Now! About this party tonight-,"
"It's not so much a party as a get together. I thought it would be good for Hayato to meet my friends." The last thing Yami needed was for Anzu to blow this out of proportion. He didn't think Hayato would like a huge number of new people in his face.
Anzu would do it too. She'd gone a little crazy after graduating and never having enough funds to go to America. The next thing Atem knew, Anzu would have some wild party with duelists and a million old acquaintances hanging out of his apartment to gawk at his son.
"I know that!" Yami could hear the eye-roll. "I want to see if I have enough snacks for everyone."
Anzu had volunteered to be caterer for Yami's impromptu movie night. The new father was going to be busy introducing his son to his new uncles and auntie, so Anzu thought she'd take a little pressure off his back. "Besides, I'm not exactly sure who is coming, Yami."
"Definitely our group." Atem turned away from the bright balcony window and walked toward the front door. "Yugi, Joey, Tristan and Duke are coming along with you. Kaiba and Mokuba will try to make it. My co-workers will be there since Hayato is familiar with them. Ryou is definitely coming."
"He is?" Anzu exclaimed. Yami didn't blame her for it. If there was an idea that Bakura would be in the near vicinity, Ryou was quick to journey elsewhere. "What did you do? Blackmail him?"
"I tried that before, and it didn't work." Yami opened the front door of the empty apartment and stepped out onto the concrete porch. Manabu leaned against the wall to the right of the door. The papers were under his arm as he pulled up a map on his phone. "Bakura won't make it, period. He'll be out of the city for the next couple of days on business."
And what a dojo owner would be doing on business out of town, Atem didn't want to know.
"Ah." Anzu realized how much sense that made. "Well, in that case, we don't need alcohol. And we should have enough and leftovers for you and Hayato-kun. My mom helped and we have enough to fill up three Joey Wheelers!"
"Thanks, Anzu. I appreciate the help." He'd buy pizza, but his new budget was already calling for restraint. It was a parenting woe, but one Yami didn't really mind. He wasn't thinking only of himself anymore.
"That's what Auntie Anzu is for!" She cheered over the phone line before it went dead.
Yami pulled away the phone and stared at it. "I swear we have to get her off whatever drugs she's on lately."
Manabu chuckled. "Ready? This place has a great surprise attached."
"The last time you surprised me, Manabu, I nearly bought a house."
The young teen watched silently as the older boy knelt before the clay basin, carefully washing away the blood on his hands. Atem crossed his arms. His eyes trailed over the stone floors of his small study to the dead body lying crumpled by the window.
Atem recognized the dead man. He'd been a guard of one of the nobles. The belligerent noble had been rather vocal about his father's 'failings' in the kingdom. It was a shame everyone, from slaves to nobles and priests, knew the man was bitter that his daughter hadn't been chosen as the Pharaoh's second wife.
Atem's mother had passed recently in childbirth, taking his little sister with her. So of course, the fool had chosen to strike now. Killing Atem would pressure Aknamkanon into marrying again for a new heir.
The noble hadn't expected how determined Akhenatem was to keep his prince safe. Atem wished it hadn't been to such a violent extent.
He blamed himself really, despite the fact that the noble had sent such a powerful assassin for Atem's head. Atem had been the one to awaken the power in Akhen.
It had not be on purpose, but it had been Atem's fault. He still remembered how enraged Akhen was that day. It was the first time the slave had ever raised his voice at Atem.
"No, my prince." Atem's eyes rose to meet with the nearly black eyes of his slave and love.
Akhen rose to his feet. With a clean hand, he ran a finger over Atem's bruised cheek. Only recently had Akhen earned such a privilege. He took advantage of their new relationship to express his love frequently. The slave felt another flash of hatred at the dead assassin for striking out at his prince. "This was not your fault. I swore to protect you in any way possible. You are not only my future king. You are the other half of me."
Hearing his father's voice storming down the hall followed by the shouts of guards, Atem quickly brushed a kiss over Akhen's lips. "And I always will be."
"And tile floors throughout." Manabu opened the envelope in his hand and dug for a key. "Additional parking for motorcycles, bikes, and cars is in a small underground garage. For bikes and motorcycles, the parking is included in the rent."
Yami asked, "I thought you said this place was under budget?"
Pulling out the key, Manabu threw his client a smile over his shoulder. "And it is! Your budget was 220,000 yen. This apartment is 195,000 yen, plus one month of free rent. That's extremely well priced for a two bedroom at this location."
"That's pretty good. Uh…" Yami trailed as Manabu slid the key in the door. "You do remember how much space I'll need right?" If the place looked like it wouldn't house a sardine, he'd kill Manabu. He liked his agent, but there were days, Yami seriously considered finding someone else.
"Let's find out." Manabu opened the door of the first floor apartment with a laugh. Stepping to the side, Manabu let Yami walk through the entryway.
The Egyptian observed the white shoe cabinet but, like the last apartment, kept his shoes on. A few more steps, the two men found the bath and the toilet. Both rooms looked well enough and Atem was pleased to have a washer and dryer. "There's wallpaper in the bath?"
"For a fee, you can get the place renovated. Finishings, repairs, add-ins, etc." The men turned and stepped into the kitchen. A slim white pantry with glass doors sat perpendicular to the counter. "A fridge doesn't come with the apartment, but you have a gas stove and a garbage disposal in the sink."
Atem wondered if he could find a bigger fridge. He was tired of the small ones in Japan. You'd think the people would get sick of always running to the grocery and convenience stores.
"And just to let you know, this place does have a buy option rather than rent. The apartment next to it is smaller but also for sale."
"How much?" Yami ran a hand over the stainless steel counter top before walking into the living and dining area. Both were good sizes for a family of two. It was easy to tell the place had been recently renovated, however. The bookcase in the dining area was unstained and incomplete in contrast to the simple white walls and porcelain tile floors. Altogether, he was pleased so far. "This place is bigger than I thought."
"About 40,000,000 yen." Manabu shrugged. "You can negotiate a little if you take the place as is."
Yami raised an eyebrow. "I haven't seen any problems so far. Why as is?"
Manabu grinned and waltzed by his client. He headed for a sliding glass door on the far wall. "My surprise!"
Atem's eyes widened when he saw a porch and garden in the back of the apartment. He stepped out onto the slightly worn wooden porch after Manabu opened the glass door. Slim trees lined up before a tall concrete fence. "A private garden. I didn't expect this."
"Yes. It needs a bit of work." Manabu frowned at the bits of weed and grass littering the yard. A few of the old decorative stepping bricks were missing. "But it's a good size and most of your maintenance fees go here. The wall stops at the second bedroom by a balcony."
Yami hopped down from the porch followed by Manabu. The teacher admitted that the garden was a huge plus for the property. He knew Hayato would love it as Atem was falling for it himself. Finding a private, green outdoor space in a busy Japanese city like Domino wasn't easy. Considering the location and all, he was surprised, the property didn't cost more.
Manabu walked to a wall next to them with another set of glass doors. "And here's the master bedroom. A little narrow but I think you can work with it."
Opening the door, Manabu entered the bedroom followed by Yami. The Egyptian looked at the room and immediately wondered how to fit his bed. But the room was an average size with a shelf built into the wall. A closet stood at the end of the bedroom next to the door. "This is very narrow, but it should work."
Atem just wondered how much begging it would take to get Trudy and Evangeline to decorate for him. If anyone could maximize a small space, it was those two.
Hayato's room was even smaller, though it had a little balcony. Yami visibly frowned, but he knew the child could fit in the space with little trouble. Hayato would need new furniture regardless, so Atem would take the room size into consideration.
Manabu smiled. "It's always a good sign when you're mentally decorating."
Yami blinked at the taller man in surprise. "I-I didn't even realize I was doing it."
Nodding, the dark haired man pulled a pen from his pocket. He smirked at the teacher. "So? Is this a really good sign?"
Atem scowled. He plucked the pen from Manabu. "Don't enjoy this so much."
Mokuba winced as his brother slammed the phone back into the receiver. He remained silent as the furious CEO violently stood from his desk, his chair slamming into the wall behind him, and stormed over to his office door as his secretary scurried into the room with a stack of files. Mokuba had to hand it to the secretary. She didn't even blink as the four folders were snatched out of her hands by an enraged Seto Kaiba. It showed the caliber of staff his brother tended to hire.
Seething, Seto struggled to control his temper as he opened the top file. A swift glance through had him tossing the folder to the ground spilling papers everywhere. He didn't the same with the next folder except with an increasing look of disgust.
Mokuba and the secretary exchanged a knowing look. Usually Kaiba kept his emotions in tight control unless someone he cared about was in danger. However, neither was surprised by this ugly flash of rage from the CEO.
Kaiba hated betrayal more than anything. So realizing that one of his researchers had been selling information to a rival – and a worthless one as the fool hadn't even sent the data to someone like Pegasus – had left the usually cool man ready to commit murder.
Sneering, Kaiba tossed another folder at his secretary's heeled feet before opening the last one. He scowled, his eyes darkening before shoving the folder to his assistant. "Call this idiot for an interview and make damn sure any contract holds him responsible like the last fool!"
Without another word, the CEO turned and stormed out of his office.
Mokuba sighed before standing up and helping the secretary gather the prospective profiles. "Hopefully, Seto will calm down after the lawsuit."
The secretary laughed, brushing lose strands of hair behind her ear as they knelt, shuffling the fallen papers. "Oh definitely. Kaiba-san made certain to add certain clauses to all researcher contacts. I'm afraid the gentleman in question will be in trouble for some time."
Mokuba wondered if he should ask what his big brother had done. The young Kaiba sighed. "I believe it. But Morino-san? Who did Seto choose?"
Obviously, Seto hadn't appeared very impressed with any of the applicants.
"This one!" Morino handed Mokuba the only organized folder.
Opening the manila folder, Mokuba's eyes went wide as he observed the picture of the applicant. "Morino-san, why does this man look like Noah Kaiba?"
The picture Mokuba held could have been an adult clone. The man in question looked a bit older than Seto with familiar sea foam hair color and the same dark blue eyes. There was a hint of arrogance in the way the figure held himself in the photograph, yet the eyes changed everything. Where there had been anger, jealousy, loneliness and pain in Noah's eyes, the man in the photo looked wise and knowing.
Mokuba tilted his head. It almost looked like the man was amused with a hint of mischief. It was as if he knew something no one else did.
She shook her head. "I don't know, but his name is Toshiyuki Khmun. He's half Japanese and half Egyptian. Apparently, he's been working for an American university, but Khmun-san has recently decided to live in Japan."
Mokuba quickly read the profile, but his eyes continued drifting back to the picture. He really hoped this was a good sign rather than a bad one.
TBC
Alia: I should name this 'The Calm Before the Storm'.
REVIEW
February 16, 2013
