A/N: Welcome to chapter 10 of Overcoming Differences!

Wow. This chapter was both easy and hard to write. I basically had to come with the scenes as I was writing them, and it took me longer to finish than I'd expected. Still, I got in done in time :).

I'd like to thank the anon guest reviewer who pointed out the difference between polygamy and polyamory to me. I also checked it myself and you were absolutely right. The relationship Yugi, Yami and Atem have is polyamorous, not polygamous. I've changed the chapters in which the term was used. Again thank you for your insightful review!

Without further ado, I'll let you get to reading this new chapter. Remember that I don't own Yu-gi-oh! or any of its characters, that mobiumshipping rocks, and that I love reviews.

Enjoy!

0o0o0

An eye for an eye

Just like Mondays Yugi only worked in the morning on Wednesdays. It wasn't because he needed to go to physical therapy though. No, on Wednesday afternoons there was a special time slot for handicapped swimmers at the local pool.

Yugi had taken up swimming after doctor Valentine had advised it to him, claiming that it would help him in training his legs. As a kid Yugi had never felt much for swimming. Though he had learned how to back then, and was confident in his ability to do it reasonably well, it was just something that never really appealed to him. Getting into and out of his swimming trunks was such a hassle, just like needing help to get in and out of the pool itself. So when Mai had first suggested it he had understandably been a bit hesitant. But now that he had taken it up and doing it for the last two months he had slowly gotten to love it. Sure the necessities around it were still a hassle, but the reward was worth it.

Once he was in the water he felt so free. He didn't even notice his legs hardly cooperating as his strong arms swiftly made him glide through the water. As a matter of fact, when he was doing his special exercises for his legs in the pool it almost felt to him as if there was nothing wrong with them. He could accomplish so much more in the pool where water made everything lighter than he could on land. For a moment, no matter how brief it was, he felt like a normal person.

Though perhaps normal isn't the most accurate way to put it, since he didn't really feel abnormal for being disabled. Still, he was different from most people, and because it was visible people would stare at him. He had a great family, wonderful friends and two loving boyfriends who all saw him for who he was and didn't linger their gazes on his wheelchair, and that made him strong, but there were still many people who would stop and stare upon seeing him. Not right now though. As he was leisurely floating on his back while the last few minutes of his swimming time ticked away, there was simply nothing odd to see for people to stare at.

It was also during this moment that Yugi's thoughts wandered to Joey's request from earlier that day. He had to write a note from his blonde friend to Seto, and he took this opportunity to think about what he was going to do. Seto's own, or rather his secretary's, note had been short and concise, filled with eloquent words. It had sounded very businesslike, and Yugi was thinking about how he could match that. Not that that would be much of a problem. Working at the administrative office he sometimes had to type up documents in the same style, so it shouldn't be too hard to adopt that. It was one other thing that the note had also contained that bothered him a little bit though. Seto had obviously expected that his gift was enough for Joey to forgive him and the note clearly indicated that fully expected to meet him again soon. Yugi had to figure out how to break this bubble without making him think all hope was lost. He liked the idea to have the stoic man experience for himself what it was like to be treated like he had Joey, but the contents of this note could have dire consequences on what would happen further. He would have to make sure that Seto understood that he still stood a chance after this.

He tried out a few sentences in his mind until the swimming instructor blew his whistle to indicate that time was up and Yugi and the other swimmers had to get out. Those who could climbed out on their own while Yugi made his way to where a chair attached to a crane was being lowered into the water. It was Yugi's way of getting out of the pool and back into the wheelchair the pool provided for him safely. He wasn't allowed to take his own wheelchair into the pool itself for hygienic reasons, so the pool had a few of their own to transport disabled swimmers within the building itself. Yugi's own chair was stored securely in the hallway.

After thanking the instructor for his help Yugi made his way to the shower first, using this opportunity to wash his hair so he wouldn't have to back home. He then proceeded to the dressing room to get dried up and dressed. All the while his thoughts continued to remain with the note he had to write. He was slowly getting excited as a few good ideas popped into his head, and wanted to get started as soon as possible.

Once he was done getting dressed he was nearly ready to go. He grabbed his keys from his pocket and rolled over to the hallway, where his own wheelchair was waiting. Even though his wheelchair was relatively safe from being stolen, Yugi felt more comfortable to have a lock on it, and used the key to unlock it before switching from the pool wheelchair to his own. Once done he grabbed his handbike, which had been lying next to it.

The handbike made everything so much easier in his life. He had one that he could easily attach and detach from his regular wheelchair, making it very handy for him to use during his daily activities such as going to work, or going to the pool. In the same way normal people would grab their bike to get around town Yugi did the same with his handbike. It worked practically the same as a regular bicycle, though instead of using his feet to paddle he used his arms. Without it he would have to get around to places while having to roll his chair, which could quickly get tiring. He could also use a special taxi for disabled people, but he didn't like relying on them too much. He would have to reserve one beforehand and they had the tendency to be late. All in all this was much more convenient and comfortable for him. Plus, he liked the exercise he got from it.

He positioned the handbike in front of him en leaned forward to attach the handles to his chair. After deftly mounting the accessory he was finally ready to go home. He grabbed the paddle with his hands and started turning it, moving the chair forward. Feeling eager to get home and started on the note he set a decent pace for himself, not stopping until he got back home.

0o0o0

"What is this all about Atem?!" Seto demanded to know as he stormed into his cousin's office and threw a note on the desk.

Atem raised an eyebrow at the demand, but picked up the note to see what the fuss was about. The moment he saw it he smiled, instantly recognising his boyfriend's handwriting. Even though he hadn't read it, Atem knew about the note that Joey had asked Yugi to write to Seto. He had laughed when Yugi had explained it to him, loving the idea to try to make Seto feel the same way Joey did and hoping he would learn that way. Still, he was curious about what his boyfriend had actually written, so he read the note.

Dear mister Kaiba,

Mister Wheeler would like to thank you for your generous gift. He can, however, not accept it as a sign of apology. Thus he has as of yet no inclination to arrange for a consecutive meeting between yourself and his person. He would like to sincerely wish you good luck with your next attempt and is looking forward to it.

Yours faithfully,

Yugi Muto

Best friend and colleague of J. Wheeler

"I think it's quite clear dear cousin." Atem drawled while he tried is hardest to keep from laughing, "Joey doesn't accept the gift and wants you to try again."

"It's not that Atem." Seto growled impatiently, "Why did I get this note from your boyfriend?"

"Ah, so you didn't like that, did you?" Atem said slyly, hoping to draw his cousin to giving the answer himself.

"Of course not." He nearly yelled, but managed to control himself, "This is between Wheeler and me. Yugi has nothing to do with it. And what's all this 'mister Wheeler' and 'mister Kaiba' stuff? This note sounds like it came from one of our business partners."

"And what about your note to Joey?"

Seto looked like he wanted to comment on that, but fell silent before even one sound passed his lips. Atem smirked and nodded, knowing that Seto understood now. The latter pinched his nose as he started to pace in front of Atem's desk, thinking the matter over before he eventually said, "But why didn't he just tell me he'd rather have a personal note instead of making your boyfriend concoct this reply?"

Atem sighed, "To most it's logical that you deal with stuff like this personally, but Joey figured that you would need to experience it yourself to learn. He didn't like it that you didn't personally write him a note, so he's sending you a reply through Yugi to show you how it feels. An eye for an eye so to speak. You obviously didn't like it, so hopefully you'll do better next time."

"I see." Seto mused, "It's almost like he's challenging me. I acted before thinking and have insulted him. Now he hopes I'll think my new actions through."

"Exactly." Atem agreed, pleased at his cousin's deduction.

"I understand. I shall be very prudent when planning my next course of action." Seto said with conviction, though by the way he said it Atem still doubted a little bit whether his cousin would actually improve himself. But then a thoughtful expression crossed Seto's features, and he remained still for a moment as he seemed to think something over. Atem remained quiet until his cousin had formulated his thoughts, "There's one thing I don't understand though. How could he not accept the latest version of the duel disk if he's such a fan of the game like you told me?"

Atem shrugged, "Honestly I thought he would like it, since the gift would show him that you have an interest in his interests. On the other hand, it's a very material gift - exclusive and expensive as well. Perhaps he feels like you're trying to bribe him."

Seto frowned, "But I only wanted to give him something that he would like as a sign of good faith. It's a common practice to offer gifts as a sign of peace isn't it? If our latest model of the duel disk isn't enough for him, then what is?"

Atem shook his head, "You misunderstand cousin. You offered him the duel disk in exchange for forgiving you, which indeed is a way to go about it. But like I said the gift is very material, exclusive and expensive. When it comes to romance the monetary value of something doesn't matter. It's the emotional value that comes with it."

Seto cocked his head in confusion, still not entirely grasping what his cousin was getting at, "But he likes Duel Monsters, so how can the duel disk not have any emotional value?"

Atem sighed and leaned forward on his desk with his head resting on his hands, "Do you know which of the gifts I have received from my boyfriends over the years I prize the most?" He asked him, receiving a shake of Seto's head in reply, signalling him to continue.

Atem reached into his pocket and took out his wallet. He opened it and carefully took out a small photograph, offering it to Seto so he could take a look. The man once again frowned and rose an eyebrow in question, but took the offered item to take a look. He immediately noticed how the picture was of bad quality. It wasn't because it was blurry or anything, but by what it showed. It was a head shot of the trio, but Yugi's head was only half in the picture. Yami seemed to be annoyed at something while Atem was shooting the camera one of his trademark confident smirks.

Seto turned the photograph around to see whether there was something he had missed. At the back was some scribbled handwriting, out of which he could make out the words 'We love you, Yami and Yugi.' But other than that he was still confused. How could such a failed picture mean anything to anyone?

"That picture was made on the day that Yami and Yugi confessed their love for me, and accepted me into their relationship." Atem explained before his cousin could question it, "It was one of the happiest days in my life."

"But this photograph isn't even a good one." Seto protested, still not understanding what Atem was trying to tell him.

Atem laughed, "Oh yes. I agree that it's quite horrible." He agreed as he took back the picture and looked at it with fondness, "You try to get a wheelchair crammed into a photo booth. It just doesn't work. Yugi was still trying to get in as well as he could while Yami was complaining about how the booth should be made wheelchair friendly. In the meanwhile I just popped the coin in and had it make the pictures." Atem chuckled again, reliving the memory, "But the quality of the picture is not what makes it so sentimental to me, it's the memory that goes with it. They confessed to me and we had the pictures made. We laughed over them once they were done and then Yugi and Yami wrote that message on the back so I could never forget it. It's a symbol of our love, and every time I look at it it makes me feel happy."

"So are you telling me I should take Wheeler to a photo booth and make crappy pictures to make him forgive me?"

"No Seto." Atem sighed in exasperation as he safely tucked away the photograph back into his wallet before pocketing it, "What I'm trying to tell you is that emotional gifts can be very simple, and often they just come along unexpectedly. You can't just buy, or in your case give away some expensive gift and expect it to have any emotional value just because it's something the person would like."

"But then what should I give him? You're not making this any easier Atem." Seto said in near desperation, officially not knowing anymore what to do.

Atem stood up from his place at his desk and walked around it to place a comforting hand on his cousin's shoulder, "Why don't you lay off on the material gifts for now? Instead you should focus on other ways to have him forgive you. He didn't like it how you made him feel worthless during your date, even if that wasn't your intention. So what does make him worth it for you to go through all this trouble?"

"Well." Seto mused, thinking carefully of an answer, "From what I've seen and heard so far I think he's handsome, his optimistic cheerfulness seems to be contagious, and-"

"Don't tell me cousin." Atem interrupted him, "You should tell him that. Why don't you write him a letter in which you tell him what makes you like him so much?"

"Is it really that simple?" Seto wondered with uncertainty lacing his voice.

"It'll be a start at least." Atem confirmed with a firm nod, "You can't force love, but a personal letter can be very powerful. Just be sure to make it about him, and not about you. Be humble, but also honest. If you can get him to write you back the hardest part will be over."

"Fine. I'll try." Seto agreed, "But if this turns out as a failed attempt again I will take my ire out on you Atem."

And with those words he briskly made his way to the door of Atem's office. Without another word and before Atem could reply he left and shut the door behind him. Atem sighed, hoping that this idea would work.

0o0o0

"Joey told me he got a letter from Seto." Yugi informed his boyfriend.

They had settled down on the couch that evening. Their stomachs were full of Yugi's cooking, and his daily exercises were done. All that was left was simply to relax for the rest of the evening. Yugi was snuggled up against Atem while the latter had wrapped his arm loosely around the former's shoulders. They were watching a movie on the television when Yugi suddenly brought up the subject of the stagnant relationship between Yugi's best friend and Atem's cousin.

Atem frowned in interest en turned his attention to his boyfriend, "Really? What about it?"

Yugi smiled a bit in amusement, "I think he was quite enamoured by it."

"Enamoured? What's that supposed to mean?" Atem questioned, a bit confused by his choice of words.

Yugi chuckled and fondly looked up at Atem, "Well, he did say he liked the letter, but he sounded a bit dreamy when he said it. I think he liked the letter more than he let on."

Atem smiled and briefly squeezed Yugi's shoulder, "So Seto has finally done something right this time. Who knew that he actually would?"

Yugi hummed in approval and snuggled a little bit closer, "Do you think they will ever be together like we are now Atem?" He asked seriously.

Atem sighed, "Who knows squirt? Just because Seto has flattered Joey doesn't mean there is a good basis for a relationship. I still doubt whether they would work out."

Yugi leaned a bit away from his boyfriend so he could turn and look at him more properly, "You don't sugar coat anything, do you?"

Despite the words, Yugi hadn't uttered them accusingly. Rather he was stating a fact, as if to remind himself that this was what made Atem who he is. He could be compassionate, as he had shown so often before, but he never pretended that things were better than they were.

"Why would I squirt?" Atem replied seriously, "I don't see any reason to get our hopes up. We knew from the beginning that Joey and Seto were an odd match, so why pretend that isn't the case now that Seto has managed to do one thing right?"

Yugi smiled and placed a warm hand on Atem's cheek, "I know. You don't have to defend yourself like that."

"Now this is exactly the reason why we do work out." Atem smiled as he leaned in closer so that their foreheads touched, "You respect me telling you the cold hard truth while you'd like to be more hopeful."

Yugi smiled and closed his eyes resignation, "I just respect you being you, and I know that even though you won't hesitate to dash my hopes with the cold, hard truth, you only want to protect me and will admit defeat when it turns out you were wrong."

Suddenly Yugi felt soft, warm lips pressed gently against his own in a kiss. He knew it was Atem's way of saying thank you; thank you for taking me for who I am, thank you for being with me, thank you for being who you are and many more thank yous were conveyed in that one simple kiss. A warm feeling settled in Yugi's stomach, which he could only describe as a feeling of intense love and happiness. As he returned the kiss he conveyed the very same meaning to Atem. No more words were needed. Their kiss and just having the other close told them all they needed to know.

This feeling was only confirmed when they broke their kiss and stared each other in the eyes. Yugi could see the very same thing he felt reflected there. Every time he saw it it only confirmed to him that he and Atem were supposed to be together. He felt so lucky that he had found this in not just one person, but in two, for he could find the same thing in Yami when they were together. Nothing was one-sided in their relationship. Even though what he felt for either of them was slightly different in some ways, as long as he felt this happy with both of them he could take on any hurtful prejudice people had of him.

The movie that was still running in the background was now completely forgotten as the two absorbed themselves into one another. That one kiss was only the prelude of many more that Atem began bestowing upon his lover. None of them had the power that initial kiss had, but they were still strong enough that both young men understood what they meant.

Somewhere along the way Atem had pushed Yugi back so that he was lying on his back with Atem hovering over him. Yugi in turn had wrapped his arms around Atem's neck and was holding him close. For the moment all else was forgotten and their bodies simply moved on their own accord in holding the other close and kissing him senseless.

But eventually they came down from their passionate high, and simply turned back to looking each other in the eyes again, smiling lovingly as they did so. Suddenly Atem's expression changed, and he grinned mischievously down at his boyfriend. Yugi knew that expression all too well and knew what was going to happen next.

"Want to go upstairs?" Atem asked huskily.

Yugi blushed a little bit, silently cursing himself for doing so. Even though he had been with Atem for four years now and he was comfortable with him, the latter still managed to make him blush as if he been propositioned for the first time. Atem simply smiled, thinking that the blush was cute. Annoyed, Yugi hid his face in Atem's shoulder, but nodded his consent anyway.

Atem got up, pulling Yugi, who was still hanging onto him, with him. But instead of setting his disabled lover into his wheelchair like Yugi expected, Atem started to carry him upstairs. Yugi panicked a little bit, knowing that he wouldn't be able to get back down by himself if Atem would leave the wheelchair by the couch, "Atem? What are you-" He started to question, but was stopped when Atem shushed him.

"Don't worry squirt." He reassured him, "I'll make sure your stuff is in the right place later. I just don't want to have to wait right now."

Yugi didn't really like it, but he too didn't want to wait, so he accepted it for now. He trusted that Atem would help him out later.

Once they had arrived in their bedroom and Atem had gently laid Yugi down on their bed the kissing had resumed. All worries Yugi had about not having his wheelchair within reach disappeared as he focussed on his boyfriend. It was different from before though. This time the kisses were playful, and were accompanied by similar touches. Yugi laughed and giggled as Atem did everything to get him in the mood, including teasing his younger lover with a rain of soft kisses and gentle nips, growling as he did so.

"Atem, you're such a tiger." Yugi said in between his chuckles.

"Hmm?" Atem hummed before he suddenly smiled brightly, "I think you might be on to something squirt."

Yugi frowned in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"Tiger. I like that one." He explained before he resumed his earlier activities.

It still took a little while before Yugi understood what his cryptic boyfriend meant, but then realisation suddenly struck him, "Really? You think tiger is a good nickname for you?"

"Absolutely. It's tough and manly. It's perfect if you want to use it."

Yugi couldn't have been more happy at that point. He had finally found a nickname for Atem, and he wasn't even trying that time. The comment had been said without much thought, but that's actually what made the term all the better. It hadn't been forced out of him or consciously chosen. He wrapped his arms around Atem's neck and pulled him close, "Yeah I think I like it too."

"I'm happy that you've finally found something." Atem said earnestly, genuinely happy that they could finally close that chapter in their life. Truthfully, he had underestimated what a nickname meant for someone. He had always been fine with being called Atem, but now that Yugi had called him tiger it seemed to only strengthen the bond between them. He now truly belonged to him just like Yami did, and if felt great.

"But remember Atem." Yugi suddenly whispered into his ear, shaking him out of his thoughts, "A tiger is still just a pussy."

0o0o0

A/N: I so love the final sentence there. I leave you all to imagine Atem's expression after that comment XD.

But whoopdidoo! Yugi has finally found a nickname for Atem! I actually like the way it came out. I was racking my brain over something special all this time only to have this simple one fit him completely. Ah how I sometimes forget the simple things…

On another note, I'm running out of ideas for this story. I don't want to delve much deeper into the puppyshipping, since this story is supposed to be about our beloved trio, and not about the puppy and his dragon. With all the things I wanted to do before Yami came back home wrapped up I think I'm going to skip a few weeks in the story to where he gets home. Although I have at least one significant thing I want to write about I don't have much else, so I guess this story will be wrapped up in, say, the next two chapters. Don't worry though. I've got two new stories patiently waiting in the queue to be published, so this is certainly not the end of my FF writing career.

Next chapter: Unless something else comes along, Yami will be getting home. What kind of surprise has Yugi been preparing for him all this time?