Valkyria : Hello everyone *grins* Early Update! I hope all of your summers are going okay and that you're not fainting from the heat.
Griever : That's right! You have to be careful out there. Be like Valkyria and sit in front of the air conditioner with a dreamy smile on her face.
Valkyria : *glares* I don't do that! The nerve! You shouldn't say things that aren't true.
Griever : Sorry *chuckles* We have good news though! It's a very high chance that you guys might be receiving another early update since our dear Valkyria's birthday is coming up soon. She just had to be born during one of hottest months of the year. Isn't it great!
Valkyria : Yeah another update is going to come up soon after this one. Then we'll go back to every Friday. On to the delicious story!
Disclaimer : We -as always- claim no rights to the anime/manga Yu-gi-oh and if we did Yami and Yugi would be married.
Current Song : Nocturne by Ayaka Hirahara
Chapter Twenty-One : Broken Hearts and Relief.
It was at the stroke of midnight when Atemu finally walked into his home. Shutting the door behind him quietly, he was surprised to hear the television on and Yugi's melodious laughter coming from the living room. Slipping off his jacket and shoes, he followed the noise and spotted Yugi sitting on the couch wearing a pair of dark blue pajamas with a bowl of popcorn in his lap.
"Yugi?" he questioned quietly only to jump back when Yugi released a frightened scream, spilling the popcorn on the floor and couch.
"Atemu!" holding a hand to his chest. Yugi released a shaky breath. "You scared the hell out of me! When did you get back?"
Fighting back a smile. Atemu clicked on the lamp that was on the small stand next to couch. "Just now. What are you doing up so late?"
Yugi flushed and turned away. "It's Friday. I don't have any classes and I decided to stay up and watch a couple of movies."
Atemu raised a eyebrow at the response and leaned against the arm of couch. "Oh really? You weren't waiting up for me?"
"Of course not!" Yugi huffed. "Help me clean this up will you? Since it's partially your fault I spilled it."
They quickly picked up the stray pieces of popcorn and threw it away before settling comfortably on the couch. Atemu laid his head on Yugi's slim shoulder and inhaled the lavender scent that was coming from the younger man. A comfortable silence descended on them as they turned to watch the movie, Atemu didn't know the name but it looked like a comedy.
"Tired?" Yugi asked softly, laying his head on top of Atemu's. "It must've been a horrid date."
"It was." Atemu agreed. "But I got what I needed so it was worth it."
"Well," Atemu felt more than heard the younger man's quiet laughter. "Was she polite? The perfect date?"
Atemu took his head off Yugi's shoulder and stared him in the eyes. "If perfect is staring at me with lust in her eyes and dressing and acting like she would have no problem getting me in bed then yeah, she was the best date in the world."
Yugi released a snort of laughter, staring at Atemu with amusement. "Nothing like a tumble in the sheets with someone like her."
Yugi could no longer hold his laughter in when he saw Atemu turn a light green at his words, he grabbed the older man in a tight hug.
"I'm sorry!" he said through his laughter. "I can't help but tease you. You're definitely a easy target tonight. So, what did you say to her to get her to confess?"
The question caused Atemu to instantly tense up and he knew Yugi felt the movement, because the amusement disappeared from his eyes and were replaced with concern and wariness.
"Atemu? Are you alright?"
Atemu sat up and grabbed Yugi's hands gripping them tightly. "…I said some things that I'm not exactly proud of and I'm hoping that you won't be angry with me."
"Well." Yugi shrugged indifferently. "I know you didn't mean what you said, whatever it was, so it would be silly of me to be upset about it. You were trying to get Vivian to confess whether she was pregnant or not. Is she? Is she pregnant?"
"Yes. She is." Atemu continued staring Yugi in the eyes, waiting for the younger man's reaction to the news. "It's not mine."
"Of course not." Yugi agreed quickly and gave him a warm smile. "Don't ever think that I don't trust you Atemu, because I do. Just out of curiosity though, whose child is she carrying?"
"The man's name is Siegfried von Schroeder. He's the CEO of Schroeder Corp. It is a gaming company roughly similar to Kaiba Corp. Apparently, they hit it off pretty well at a dinner party a few weeks ago."
"That they did. What happens now?"
"Bakura and Malik made several copies of the recording and sent them off to the all of the magazines. So we should be seeing something sometime soon."
"And will that be the end of it?"
"I'm going to be honest with you and say probably not." Atemu gave Yugi a apologetic look. "You can count on Vivian and Siegfried fighting this, despite the proof that we have. The media is going to be all over it. One of Japan's most famous actress and model pregnant with Siegfried's child is something they won't pass up."
"But what about you? You're voice is on the recording. Won't the media come hounding you as well?"
"You as well little one." Atemu added with a grim frown.
Yugi blinked at the vague response. "What do you mean by that? I wasn't-" he stopped when he realized what Atemu had said, he groaned and pulled his hands away from Atemu. "You can't be serious. I'm still dealing with Rebecca."
"Rebecca is still bothering you?" Atemu crossed his arms and gave him a stern stare. "I thought you were going to discuss this problem with Professor Hawkins?"
"I can't." Yugi whispered finding the buttons on Atemu's vest very interesting. "I can't ruin the image he has of his granddaughter. How would you feel is someone came up to you and told you that your granddaughter, one of the last links you have to your son and daughter-in-law is a crazed stalker?"
Atemu reached over and cupped Yugi's face in his hands. "listen to me little one. You are one of the most selfless people I have ever met, and it is a wonderful trait to have, but you can not let Rebecca continue to get away with this. What about your feelings? Do you want to spend your college years avoiding her and looking over your shoulder? If you do not tell Professor Hawkins then I will. Do you understand?"
Yugi reached up and removed Atemu's hands from his face. "I'm old enough to take care of this problem myself."
"Oh really?" sarcasm was loud and clear in Atemu's voice. "Then why haven't you handled it yet? There's nothing stopping you but that beautiful yet troublesome conscious you have."
"You think everything about me is beautiful." Yugi remarked dryly.
"Of course I do," Atemu leered. "You'll be even more beautiful when you become Ishigami Yugi. Don't think I've forgotten about our little bet."
"I haven't forgotten either. You'll look very dashing in that pink frilly apron."
"Speaking of pink frilly aprons and marriage proposals. How about we up the stakes?"
That brought a thoughtful frown to Yugi's face, what more could they do? He didn't see anything more risky than getting married or anything more humiliating for a man than wearing a frilly apron.
"I'm listening."
"If I win. You have to let me give us the biggest, public wedding this city has ever seen. I'm talking cameras, reporters from newspapers and celebrities."
"W-What was your original idea for the wedding? If you won?"
"Just small and exclusive one with my parents and friends."
"And now?"
Yugi felt a shiver run down his spine when Atemu gave him a leering smirk. "If I win, then by the end of the wedding day the entire country will know you're Ishigami Yugi. Now, what are your conditions now?"
Unexpectedly, Yugi rose from the couch and clicked the television off, leaving both of them in the dark. "I'm going to leave you here to wonder about what I have in store for you Ishigami Atemu."
Atemu watched as Yugi made his way around the couch and towards the stair, stopping once to glance over his shoulder.
"Oh and Atemu?"
Atemu blinked. "Yes little one?"
"You are one of the most disgustingly smug man I have ever met. Good-night."
Atemu let out a surprised bark of laughter at the younger mans comment. "Good-night little one."
When Yugi disappeared up the stairs, Atemu leaned back against the cushions of the couch and released a weary sigh. He lifted his arm and stared at his wrist watch by lunch time today. The entire city will know about his little date and Vivian's confession, the only thing he regretted about the night was bringing Yugi into the conversation. The reporters were going to give his little one a hard time about the whole situation and he had every intention of taking the blame and whatever frustration Yugi would plant on him. He did deserve it after all.
Yawning, he stretched out fully onto the couch, before placing one arm across his stomach and the other over his eyes.
He just was satisfied this damned night was over with.
Jou was jolted out of his sleep when the door to his apartment slammed harshly against the frame. Quickly sitting up, he spotted Honda leaning against the door, his jacket bunched up in his hands and his eyes bloodshot.
"Honda?" getting up from the couch, Jou quickly made his way over to the brunet. "Honda? What happened?"
"Nothing-"
"Bullshit." Jou interrupted sharply, his eyes carefully looking over his friend. "You don't come in here scaring the shit out of me and tell me that nothing's wrong. What happened between you and Otogi-"
"Jou." Honda sounded absolutely exhausted. "Please for tonight. Just tonight. Leave it alone."
"Get up," Jou ordered firmly, taking Honda by the elbow and pulling him up. "You're not going to stay slumped against the door all night."
Honda stood up and put most of his weight on the blond and was taken to the couch and put down none too gently.
Jou left him there and went to the kitchen and came back with two beers and bottle of sake. He handed Honda one of the cold bottles. "Sure you don't want to talk about it?"
Honda looked down at the bottle and back up at him, before letting a bitter smile pull at his lips. "If I don't you're just going to get me drunk so I can tell anyways. You know I'm a lightweight. You're such an asshole sometimes Katsuya."
Jou shrugged indifferently at the insult before popping the cap off the beer and taking a small sip. "Just trying to make you're crappy night a little bit better. Ready to talk now?"
Honda released a aggravated sigh before popping the cap off his own beer and taking a larger sip. "He dumped me."
"Dumped you?"
Honda placed the bottle on the table and sent the blond a withering glare. "Yeah. dumped me. You deaf or something dude?"
"Hey, don't go all postal on me alright? Just trying to help. Why did he dump you?"
"I told him." Honda didn't explain any further than that and Jou didn't need him too.
"What…what in the world possessed you to tell him that? And over dinner when the two of you were about to make up?"
Honda shrugged and slouched into the cushions. "I had too Jou. I couldn't keep that between us, but I guess that doesn't really matter now does it?"
"What did he say to you after you told him?"
Jou stomach twisted into knots when Honda released a hollow laugh, he had a feeling that he wasn't going to like what he heard next.
"He told me the sex must've been good because the conversation wasn't." Honda said through his chuckles. "Oh and this is the best part right here Jou! I was stupid enough to tell him right after that I loved him! I just spouted it out after I told him that this whole thing was a set up to leave him high and dry : I love you Ryuuji Otogi."
"Come on Honda." Jou swallowed the lump in his throat and reached over to take the empty beer bottle out his friend's limp hand. "Let's just you to bed-"
"Do you think that he'll come back Jou?" Honda asked in a small voice. "If I keep saying sorry. Do you think he'll come back?"
"Let's just get you to bed." Jou repeating, evading the question. "You'll feel a little better in the morning eh?"
Jou stood up to retrieve a blanket from the back, while Honda curled up into the ball on the couch. He sighed when he felt the warm blanket cover him.
"Thanks."
"…no problem at all buddy. Sleep well."
Jou clicked off the television and turned off all of the lights before walking into his room and closing the door quietly behind him. He slid down to the floor and drew his knees up to his chest.
He tried his damn hardest to pretend he didn't hear Honda's heavy sobs from the living room. Ryuuji Otogi was going to pay for this. He would make sure of that.
A/N : This concludes Chapter Twenty-One of Caged. Bittersweet. I know, but it will get better in a little while. Yugi and Atemu up the stakes of their bets and Jou is going on the rampage! Stay tuned!