Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! nor its characters. I also do not profit from this work of fiction.

A/N: A break from all the angst I've been writing. Have a(nother) chapter filled with friendship and awkward teenagers.

Summary: There's a palpable tension during lunch, but the only one who seems to feel it is Yuugi. After school, the elder brothers stay behind, leaving the the underclassmen to venture to the Ishtar home on their own. (Un)fortunately for Atemu, Yuugi is coming to visit.

Warning: None

Chapter 26: Golden

Silence was definitively not golden.

Lunch was a painful affair with Yuugi's two notably missing friends. Honda, for obvious reasons, had never shown up, but Yuugi had not expected Jounouchi to do the same. He sat there, in an extremely uncomfortable quiet, waiting for his fair-haired friend to appear and break the stifling tension between Malik, Bakura, and what now seemed to include Melvin as well.

Bakura would not touch his food, Malik would only play with it, and Melvin devoured everything in sight without his usual quips to Bakura. Yuugi did not completely understand what was going on with the three of them. As far as he knew, Malik and Bakura's relationship problems did not include Melvin. However, Yuugi could feel there was a distinct wall erected between Bakura and Melvin. They avoided each other's eyes, gazing at their trays in irrefutable restraint. Gone was the boisterous, almost brother-like camaraderie Yuugi had come to expect from them.

The sullen reserve that had overtaken the three would have been bearable to Yuugi, if only Ryou had not joined them. Ryou was a temple of quiescence, pacing his bites as though he had all the time in the world. His movements were slow and deliberate, and his eyes, like Bakura's, never left his tray.

Yuugi suspected that Malik's earlier comment about Ryou's "doe eyes" had much to do with his tightlipped demeanor and refusal to look at Melvin or anywhere near the guy. But with Ryou, Yuugi's last comforting lifeline had been snipped, and he was left adrift in a silent group. The combined solemnity seemed even louder in comparison to the happy chatter in the rest of the cafeteria, and Yuugi felt all the more isolated for it.

It was awkward, and there was still no sign of Jounouchi.

The double doors at the far side of the cafeteria opened and Yuugi looked up to see Miho enter in a skip. She looked bright as always and strangely determined. He watched her quickly grab lunch and head over to Anzu and Vivian's table. The two girls had greeted Yuugi and his group while in line for lunch, but had neglected to sit with them.

Yuugi suspected that his table with the two pairs of brothers, Atemu, and recently himself and his two friends, was far too full for their liking.

Miho sat with Vivian and Anzu, greeting them happily. She pushed her bento their way, and Anzu placed it at the edge of the table without a word as Miho seated herself comfortably. As soon as she was settled, Miho's gaze swiveled to Yuugi's table and their eyes met.

Yuugi waved, tempted to take cover with them so he would no longer have to endure the silence. However, as Miho waved back, Yuugi felt far too self-conscious to move. Any movement he made could get the group's attention, like motion detectors. He did not especially enjoy the thought of being caught by four particular pairs of eyes as he tried slink away.

Albeit Miho's attention left him as abruptly as it had come and Yuugi's small sense of comfort drained away with it. He subtly glanced around at the four surrounding him. They continued to sit like four monks in the midst of a vow of silence.

It was still awkward.

It made Yuugi long for Atemu's company.

At least with Atemu, Yuugi was quite sure the reticence of the group would have gone over his head. If anything, Atemu's smiles would have been enough to distract Yuugi from any discomfort around him. But as it was, Atemu was not available. He was indisposed somewhere, unable to leave due to injuries he had sworn were "nothing". With a bite to the inside of his cheek, Yuugi recalled Atemu's carefree smile the night before and an earnest promise.

.

"I'll be okay," Atemu had said, "you go on. I'll see you tomorrow."

Atemu had swept Yuugi's bangs from his face, brushing the pad of his thumb over Yuugi's cheekbone in a shiver-inducing caress.

"Promise."

.

Fidgeting in his seat between Ryou and Bakura, Yuugi felt his cheeks burn. The edges of his lips quirked upwards and he sighed wistfully, leaning his cheek into his hand and bracing his elbow on the table. He decided he would not let Atemu break his promise as he poked at his food. It took two to make a relationship work, and Yuugi was going to do his part. If Atemu could not come to him, it was up to Yuugi to meet him halfway and go to him.

Perfectly distracted from the brewing stew of teenage drama at the table, Yuugi smiled to himself and placed a piece of boiled cabbage in his mouth. He could not wait to see Atemu.

x x x

The prospect of seeing Atemu drove Yuugi's excitement through the roof. That distracting giddiness was enough to power him through the rest of the day. So when Yuugi was finally released from his final class, he could barely contain himself when he asked Ryou for his phone.

"Please!" Yuugi shouted as they left the classroom. "To call my mom!"

"Yuugi, breathe," Ryou implored, wincing and waving his hands in a calming manner. He stepped forward as a several students shoved by. "Let's get out of the hallway first." He grabbed Yuugi and pulled him out of the way as another wave of students swept by, nearly separating them. Thankfully, Ryou scraped by, pressing himself to Yuugi's side and shuffling him along. They arrived in the locker room in one piece before they were suddenly blindsided by an irate Malik.

"You left me behind!"

"Sorry!" Yuugi said, clapping his hands together and bowing his head. "I just need to call my mom before I can go to your house – I can still go to your house to visit Atemu, right?" He lifted his head, settling his nervous gaze on Malik.

"Yeah, yeah," Malik huffed. "It's fine." He turned away and shrugged nonchalantly.

"It's okay with your … family?" Yuugi tentatively asked, and Malik nodded without hesitation.

"Yeah, it's fine," Malik repeated, but Yuugi was already turning to Ryou, hands outstretched and body refraining from wiggling in anticipation.

"Here, here," Ryou said with an exasperated smile, placing his phone into Yuugi's hands.

"Thank you so much!" Yuugi said, and he wasted no time in dialing his mother. "I'm gonna go change my shoes!" He sped away, almost skipping in his glee.

Laughing, Ryou headed to his locker with Malik beside him.

"He's so excited," Ryou commented, a fond sparkle in his eyes.

"Sheesh," Malik scoffed. "You can say that again. I wouldn't be so excited to see Atemu." He grimaced.

"Again," Ryou said patiently, "you're his cousin. You don't like him that way. And truth be told, you probably wouldn't be that excited for someone you did like. It's just not you." He changed his shoes in silence, focusing on his feet rather than Malik's reaction. But when the chatter from the other departing students was all Ryou could hear, he looked up.

Malik's usual pinched expression of disdain had evaporated. The emotion plastered onto his features could only be described as mild shock. Though his mouth remained closed, Malik's jaw had slackened and his eyes had widened imperceptibly. There was a strange crease to his brow, and if Ryou knew his friend, he would say it looked like Malik was upset.

But as soon as he saw it, it was gone, and Malik snorted derisively.

"I'm gonna go get my shoes," he said, waving. "Meet you at the door?" However, Malik did not wait before he swaggered off in the direction of his own locker.

"She said yes! She said yes!"

Yuugi skidded to Ryou's side, bouncing on the balls of his feet. He held out Ryou's phone with a happy grin piercing his cheeks.

"I can go see Atemu," Yuugi said breathlessly. His cheeks were flushed with pink and his hands were trembling as he held out Ryou's phone. "Where's Malik?" Yuugi asked, glancing around before looking at Ryou and noting his somber demeanor. Some of his happiness drained away as concern slowly took over. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" Ryou replied brightly, taking the phone back. "So what are you going to do when you see Atemu?"

Immediately, the concern on Yuugi's face transformed into embarrassment, and the red in his cheeks grew luminous.

"I … don't know," Yuugi admitted shyly.

"You don't know?" Ryou teased. "How about planting a big kiss on him?"

"Maybe," Yuugi chuckled nervously, shyly averting his eyes.

"Or," Ryou said. He nudged Yuugi with his elbow, winking playfully at him. "You could pamper him and do a little cuddling, if you catch my drift." He waited until comprehension dawned on Yuugi's face to smile wide. "I bet that would definitely make his day."

"Ryou," Yuugi muttered urgently, glancing around with a scandalized look. "We're not there yet."

"Do you want to be there?" Ryou coyly replied. He waited, watching Yuugi struggle with his answer before he dropped the teasing and placed his hand on Yuugi's shoulder. Squeezing gently, he said, "You do what you're comfortable with. Be honest with Atemu and I'm sure he'll respect your boundaries." Yuugi looked at him, and Ryou saw the insecurity residing in his eyes. "I don't think Atemu will ever want to make you feel uncomfortable, Yuugi," Ryou said softly. "He cares about you in a way that I've never seen with him before. Don't worry and just take it as slow as you want."

"You think?" Yuugi asked, and Ryou nodded.

"Sure," he said. "Come on. Malik's waiting, and I'm sure Atemu is hoping you'll visit."

Together, they made their way to the front door, Ryou tapping at his phone as he went.

As they neared the entrance, the room grew warmer, the entrance of the building overtaken by the heat of the day with its open doors. They soon found Malik loitering just inside, looking exasperated and hot, temple visibly throbbing. He was rolling his eyes, flicking his hair as he subtly stuck out his middle finger.

Following its trail, Yuugi noted a group of three boys approaching the exit. One was mockingly twirling his hair, another had both arms raised, his wrists limp as he exaggeratedly tiptoed past. They were guffawing loudly, nudging each other as they covertly motioned to Malik.

Yuugi finally understood when the third curled his hand and motioned toward his mouth, his tongue poking the inside of his cheek. At the offensive gesture, Yuugi rushed to Malik's side and glared at the group, never mind that he was shorter than all of them and likely would not come out on top in a fight. Frankly, Yuugi knew with his scrawny body and lack of skill, he would be fucked if they decided to engage. So when they eyed him, he felt a distinct chill of fear stiffen his back.

With a smirk, the tallest of them nudged the others before using both hands to poke a finger into a circle he formed with his forefinger and thumb.

They laughed, and Yuugi seethed, watching as they left.

"Ignore them," said Ryou from behind, and Yuugi looked at him in absolute bafflement.

"Didn't you see what they were doing?" Yuugi whispered indignantly. "They were –"

"We know what they were doing," Malik said, and he sounded bored. Sure enough, when Yuugi turned his gaze onto him, he saw that Malik had relaxed from his initial aggravation. He looked unperturbed, perfectly unfettered by negative emotions in the face of puerile acts. "They're assholes," Malik said, disinterested. "They only act like that when Melvin's not around."

"Why?" Yuugi asked.

"Because Melvin and my brother beat the crud out of them two years ago when they jumped Malik," Ryou said plainly, and Malik shrugged, his lip curling in distaste at the memory.

"They're too chicken to try anything, so why bother?" Malik said with a shrug. One glance was enough to tell Yuugi that his question was rhetorical.

"But why do they do that?" Yuugi asked, confused. "Why are they so mean to you?"

"You think I did something to provoke them?" Malik asked, but there was no malice in his words. He appeared genuinely interested in Yuugi's answer.

Yuugi had immediately begun to shake his head, but he paused and sighed.

"Bullies don't need an excuse to be bullies," he said, and Malik exhaled loudly.

"Why do you think Ryou's my only friend?" he said. "Did you really think Melvin was scaring them all away?" He laughed. "I wouldn't blame you if you thought that," he said and shrugged. "All the guys – they see my eyeliner and jewelry, and they see someone too different from them. They don't want to be seen with me. Close-minded jerks, all of them."

"I understand," Yuugi said then. He reached out and placed a hand on Malik's forearm. Malik looked down at him, his brow furrowing, and let his hand unclench from the fierce grip he had not realized he had been doing. "Everyone thinks, that because I'm small and skinny, that I'm weak," Yuugi said softly, lowering his gaze. "I mean, it's true that I'm not very strong or athletic, but I understand what it's like to be judged by the way you look." He shrugged and looked up into Malik's pinched expression, but rather than his usual haughty look, Yuugi saw restraint and a tremble at his lip. He understood that Malik was hiding his true feelings. "I don't mind what you wear," Yuugi said. "You've been a good friend to me and that's all that matters."

"Yuugi, you're the kindest person I've ever met," Ryou said, his tone heartfelt, and Yuugi blushed. He made to drop the hand from Malik's arm, but Malik patted his hand, holding it for the briefest moment. He let go immediately afterwards.

"Thanks, Yuugi," Malik said before abruptly clearing his throat and glancing around. "Where the hell is Melvin?"

"I don't know," Ryou said, tossing Malik a knowing look before he too began to search. He waved a hand at his face, uncomfortable with the heat, and sighed wistfully. "I don't see him, and I already messaged Touzoku. He's not replying." He briefly checked his phone and peered at Malik. "Have you texted Melvin?"

"Oh, go ahead," Malik scoffed. "We both know you're dying to message him."

"I'm not dying," Ryou muttered, but he was already typing out a message. "There. Sent."

"Desperate much?" Malik sneered, and Ryou easily shrugged.

"At least I have the guts to own up to my feelings," Ryou shot back, and Malik pursed his lips. There was no reply, and by the triumphant smile Ryou sported and sour expression on Malik's face, it was obvious who had won.

Hunching his shoulders, Yuugi clamped his lips shut and subtly stepped away. Neither Ryou or Malik noticed, and for that Yuugi was glad. It was best to say nothing at all as he did not desire to be within firing range of that sass.

"If you were really owning up to your feelings, you'd tell Melvin," Malik finally hissed, and Yuugi's eyes widened as he looked at his feuding friends. Ryou was staring at Malik in cautious disbelief.

"You wouldn't," Ryou said in a deadpan, his shock palpable.

"Try me," Malik taunted, but before either of them could make another move, a familiar voice interrupted their challenge.

"You guys still here?"

All three whipped their heads around to see Melvin and Bakura headed their way with leisure, hands in their pockets.

Ryou fidgeted nervously, and Yuugi subtly stepped closer to Malik, the morning's events still fresh in his mind.

Melvin had ridded himself of his jacket and placed it over his arm, the sleeves of his pale, salmon-colored dress shirt rolled up over his elbows. Bakura on the other hand, had draped his school jacket over his shoulders like a cape and shoved his white sleeves up over his forearms.

"Well, duh," Malik said, dropping the previous topic. He crossed his arms, staring at his brother with narrowed eyes. Beside him, Yuugi began to scan the surrounding students, his brow furrowed.

"We always walk home together," Ryou voiced, and Melvin glanced at him, nodding with a twist to his lips as though Ryou had made a fair point.

"Change of plans," Bakura said as they came to a stop beside Yuugi who was still looking through the passing students.

"We have a, uh," Melvin snorted a laugh, unable to hold it, "extracurricular activity." Yuugi glanced at him as he grinned, and it struck Yuugi that both Ishtar brothers had the same sneer. He looked away, resuming his search.

"What kind of activity?" Malik asked, suspicion littering his careful syllables.

"You don't remember?" Melvin said pointedly. "I told you about it this morning. You said you were fine with it."

"Oh," Malik said after a second of thought, "right. Well, don't let us keep you. We're gonna take Yuugi to see Atemu –"

"Of course," Bakura muttered under his breath, and Malik paused to look at him, eyes sharp but hesitant.

"Yeah," Malik said, and there was no missing the glance Bakura cast him. It was brief and guarded, but the small action was enough to ease some of the tension in Malik's shoulders. When Bakura looked away, Malik let loose a silent sigh and redirected his attention to his nails as if nothing had transpired.

"Good, he'll like that," Melvin said, and Malik jerked out of the moment, his back stiffening. "Don't let him out," Melvin added. "He needs bed rest."

"Right," Malik said in a drawl. "What am I, his owner?" He waved a careless hand. "Fine, whatever. Have fun." He risked a peek at Bakura, but Bakura was decidedly not looking, concentrating his gaze on the wall of lockers behind him instead. Disappointment flickered in Malik's eyes before he blinked it away. Averting his gaze, Malik set his jaw.

"Don't talk to strangers," Melvin said in lieu of a goodbye, and Malik nodded.

"Make some friends," Malik easily returned, refusing to look back at Bakura as he departed. "Come on, Yuugi. You don't want to keep Atemu waiting do you?"

"Um," Yuugi said as he glanced around anxiously. After a moment, he gave up and sighed. "Wait up!" Yuugi called as he rushed after Malik, jogging to catch up to Malik's longer strides.

"Be careful," Ryou said before he took off after them. He looked back at his brother and Melvin as he walked, concern in his eyes. He did not know what they had planned, but he would find out from Malik soon enough.

x x x

On their walk to the Ishtar home, Malik discarded his school jacket, literally. At the point of perspiration, he wiggled out if it in his discomfort and tossed it aside, bringing a gasp to Yuugi's lips. He continued on, unbuttoning the cuffs of his shirt and Ryou was quick to pick it up, patting the dirt from it. As Malik meticulously began folding the cuffs back, Ryou huffed.

"Your sister will kill you if you lose this, you know," Ryou sighed, wiping the sweat from his eyes and peering up through squinted eyes at the vast blue sky and unforgiving sun. That fiery ball beat down on them in cruel waves, like a blow-dryer on high, making the sidewalk sizzle around them. Ryou wiped his brow again, breathing heavily. "They're not cheap, Malik." With a grimace, he shuffled out of his own jacket, revealing the light blue short-sleeve underneath.

"Alright, Ishizu, get off my back," Malik snapped, irritated by the heat of the day. "It's October, why is it still so hot!"

"Global warming," Ryou replied.

Boiling in his own jacket, Yuugi also needed a break from the oppressive heat, and he glanced around. It did not take long to spot the flower shop beside them, and he brightened with hope.

"How about we cool off for a bit in here?" Yuugi suggested quietly, unsure of Malik's mood or how far they were from Malik's house.

"Hmm?" Malik said, turning his head to look at the store. "A flower shop?"

"What a great idea!" Ryou said in relief. "They've got air conditioning!" When he noticed Malik's dubious expression, he grabbed his arm and pulled him to the door. "Come on, let's take a break. It's like ten more minutes to your place, I'm dying, and Yuugi's face is redder than a tomato."

Yuugi felt so hot that he could not even blush at the remark. He shifted uncomfortably as Malik looked at him, embarrassed at appearing so frail.

"Sheesh, Yuugi," Malik said, "you should've said something! Let's go in. It's hot as hell." He reached back and grabbed Yuugi by his collar, tugging him along. They entered the store in a bundle, letting out three identical sighs of shoulder-dropping relief when the blast of chilled air struck them.

"Welcome!" the woman behind the cashier register greeted, bowing, and the boys bowed their heads as Malik replied.

"We're just going to look around," he said.

"Please let me know if you need anything," she replied, and they all nodded as they moved down the aisle of beautiful arrangements.

"Maybe we should get something small," Yuugi whispered, feeling guilty for his free enjoyment of the cool air. He spotted the rack of greeting cards then, reaching out for one. "'Get well soon'," Yuugi read aloud and an image of Atemu's injured face came to mind.

Would Atemu like a Get Well card? Yuugi asked himself.

"Oh, I see," Ryou whispered back, a slow smile pulling at his lips. "You want to get something for Atemu! That's so sweet!" Ryou nudged Yuugi's shoulder, a soft affection in his eyes. "I'm sure he'll love anything you give him."

"You think?" Yuugi asked, unsure, and Malik sighed.

"Why bother with a card?" he asked with a grimace. "Get him jewelry. I would love to get jewelry." He touched his gold-plated bangles. "Gold is expensive."

"Atemu isn't you," Ryou groaned.

"What would Atemu like?" Yuugi asked tentatively, and Malik exhaled loudly.

"Jewelry!" he said firmly. "He doesn't wear nearly enough. Maybe an armlet." He touched his bicep. "I think it would look good on him."

"That's the nicest thing you've ever said about him," Ryou laughed, and Malik rolled his eyes. Shaking his head, Ryou hummed. "Truthfully?" he said to Yuugi, "I don't think he likes much of anything. Only thing he's ever shown interest in is video games when he's playing with Touzoku and kicking his ass – Atemu's really good." As an afterthought, he hummed and said, "Touzoku's pretty bitter about it."

A memory came to Yuugi, a shy admission from Atemu about a certain card game. He smiled to himself.

"Games," he murmured and Ryou nudged him in the ribs with an elbow.

"Yeah, he definitely likes you," Ryou teased, and Yuugi blushed. "Your parents must have really liked games to name you Yuugi."

"It was my grandpa who named me, actually," Yuugi mumbled, and Malik sighed.

"Get him some flowers," he said. "The bright colors might cheer him up. Everything at my house is some kind of brown because Ishizu is colorblind and says it doesn't really matter either way because it's furniture –"

"Flowers sound great," Ryou interrupted before Malik's tangent could get out of hand. "Why don't you pick some flowers?"

"Which ones?" Yuugi asked as he turned to the shelf behind him.

"Definitely not these," Ryou said as he gawked at the prices.

"Cheaper ones should be at the back if the expensive ones are at the front," Malik said, and he began to lead the way. Ryou and Yuugi followed, the latter lagging behind when he noticed the rows of stuffed animals.

He browsed, idly aware that Ryou and Malik had moved on. He plucked a teddy bear from the shelf. It was large with a stuffed heart attached to its paws.

"Maybe not," Yuugi muttered and set the fluffy white bear back onto the shelf. He walked away, intending to catch up to his friends when a small stuffed creature caught his eye. Pausing, Yuugi crouched, reaching out to the bottom shelf. He took a small maned lion and gazed at it pensively. It was slightly larger than his hand, and did not it have an excessive heart attached to it. Yuugi spotted its paws and noted that the dots of its toes were light coffee-colored hearts. He smiled. Atemu had seen his plush toys from Duel Monsters, and he had not sneered at Yuugi for owning them.

Will Atemu like it? Yuugi thought. He imagined Atemu receiving it, smiling as he accepted it.

"Yuugi!"

Turning at the sound, Yuugi spotted Ryou at the end of the aisle, waving at him.

"Come!" Ryou said. "We found some flowers for good prices."

"Coming!" Yuugi called. He clutched the lion to his side as he hurried to his friend, following as Ryou led him to the back of the store where the flowers were less extravagant and the patterns haphazard. One sign indicated that trainees had made them. Yuugi looked at the rack of bouquets, searching for something uncomplicated.

"How about these?" Ryou asked, prodding a yellow, five-petal rose as he pointed to his choice.

"Yellow roses mean jealousy," Malik said. "Pink or red would be better."

Yuugi and Ryou stared at him, and Malik flipped his hair with a grimace.

"What?" he challenged. "I know stuff!" He shrugged and looked at Yuugi with a squint. "Maybe you should stick with pink and white," he said. "Red might be too soon."

"I like these," Yuugi said, pointing to a small bouquet of pink roses, white daisies, and small yellow chrysanthemums. He took them, giving Malik an uneasy glance, but Malik merely nodded his approval. With a smile, Yuugi examined his flowers, proud of his choice. He knew nothing of flower meanings, and he was grateful to have Malik as a friend.

"I'm sure Atemu will be delighted," Ryou said and Malik shrugged. He did not seem very interested either way. "Let's pay and go," he said. "No one is red anymore and Atemu's probably getting suspicious that no one's home yet."

"He's probably hungry too," Malik said suddenly, and a minuscule amount of horror sparked in his lavender eyes, "because he doesn't know how to work a stove. Let's go before he burns my whole neighborhood down." He gave Yuugi a small push to the register, and Yuugi went. On his way, however, he noted the fridges lining the wall and he gazed at the flowers and corsages. It was when he saw the on sale items that he paused.

"Wait," he said, pointing, "I'll take that too."

Malik did not give Yuugi a chance to even slow. Pushing him forward, he said, "I'll get it, keep going." So Yuugi continued on, frog-marching his way to the register where he set down the lion and his bouquet.

"For someone special?" the woman smiled.

Blushing, Yuugi nodded and ducked his chin.

"Yes," he replied as he took out his wallet. "Very special."

x x x

Malik, Yuugi, and Ryou arrived at the Ishtar residence in a matter of seven minutes, rushed there by Malik's unrelenting belief that Atemu had caused a catastrophe. He was utterly convinced that he would find the place in ruins, only slightly appeased to find the outside intact and no smoke in the sky.

"My sister will murder us if he destroyed the kitchen," Malik was mumbling. "Oh, my god, it's like having an untrained dog!"

"You're being a little harsh, Malik," Ryou said pointedly, wiping his brow of sweat and subtly tilting his head in Yuugi's direction.

Malik was unlocking the door, frowning at Ryou in confusion. He looked at Yuugi who was panting from the race there, but was completely nonplussed, and shrugged.

"What?" Malik asked. "Do you have any idea how annoying it is to have to live with him? He whines all the time."

"Malik!" Ryou admonished. "Yuugi," he mouthed silently.

"What!" Malik said, unlocking the door without looking.

"Yuugi is right here," Ryou hissed as Malik walked in, discarding his shoes.

"I know," Malik said like one stating the obvious, "I invited him."

"It's okay," Yuugi told Ryou with a wan smile, waiting for Ryou to go in before stepping inside himself. He looked at the items in his arms and frowned as he looked at the open door where the heat was billowing in. "That's how family is, right?"

"Yeah," Ryou laughed and reached around him to shut the door. He sighed in relief at the cooler atmosphere of Malik's home. Though the air was still, it was not unbearably hot. "Can't live with them, can't live without them."

"I could," Malik snorted, already in his slippers. Yuugi and Ryou removed their shoes as well, placing them in the rack before padding into the quiet living room with Malik in the lead. "Atemu?" Malik called when it became apparent that Atemu was not in either the kitchen or the living room.

"See?" Ryou said brightly. "Everything is fine. No fire. No mess."

"He's in Melvin's room," Malik said, choosing to ignore Ryou's comment and turning to look at Yuugi who was fanning his red face, "Ryou can show you the way."

"Are you insinuating something?" Ryou asked, and Malik nodded.

"Yes," he said shamelessly, and Ryou rolled his eyes.

"Come on, Yuugi," Ryou said as he began to climb the stairs. He paused on the third step, looking back at Malik. "You're not coming?"

"I'm gonna text Melvin that we're here," Malik said, pulling out his phone and tossing himself onto the sofa.

Shrugging, Ryou motioned to Yuugi and led the way up the square staircase.

"Where are his siblings?" Yuugi asked in confusion. "Are they not home yet?"

"They're in Egypt," Ryou replied, and Yuugi nodded, though his brow furrowed.

"Is it really okay for us to be here when they're not here?" Yuugi asked, and Ryou hummed.

"They trust Melvin and Malik," he replied. On the landing, he pulled Yuugi down the hall to a closed door and smiled at him before knocking.

There was no answer.

Frowning, Ryou knocked again.

"Atemu?" Ryou said. "It's me, Ryou. Yuugi's here too. Can we come in?" He waited for a reply, Yuugi suddenly shifting excitedly beside him. But when there was no response, they looked at each other, and Yuugi paused in his fidgeting, befuddled. "Atemu?" Ryou said, his voice louder. He touched the doorknob, turning it to find it unlocked. Pushing the door open, he peeked inside with Yuugi hovering over his shoulder. "He's –"

"Asleep," Yuugi finished for him.

Ryou let the door swing open. Inside the dark room, a figure could be seen on the bed, covered in a comforter and snoring softly. There was a tall rotating fan blowing air about the room, the hum of it filler between snores. It was very clear that Atemu was asleep.

"Should we wake him?" Ryou whispered.

"I … don't think we should," Yuugi said hesitantly.

"Don't you want to talk to him?" Ryou asked.

"But he's injured," Yuugi said anxiously. "And Malik said he needed bed rest. Maybe we should let him sleep."

"Oh, my god, you babies!" came the loud voice of Malik.

Yuugi and Ryou were instantly pushed aside as Malik barged past them into the room. He switched on the light as he went, placing himself at the foot of the bed.

"Wake up, Atemu!" he said. "Yuugi's here to see you!"

"Malik!" Yuugi fretted, barely hanging onto the gifts in his arms, and Ryou sighed.

"Come on!" Malik snapped, and he reached our both arms, gripping the end of the comforter. With a solid yank, he ripped the comforter away, tossing it to the ground. An unintelligible mumble answered him, and a brown hand searched aimlessly for the comforter. When it could not find the cloth, it dropped to the bed in defeat, and Atemu groaned.

"Go away," he moaned, his voice muffled, and without the comforter, they could all see that Atemu had a pillow covering his face. "I'm sleeping."

"Did you sleep all day?" Malik asked in disgust. "Get up, Yuugi's here."

"Yuugi," Atemu mumbled, but it was apparent by the toneless parroting that Malik's words had not registered at all.

"Yuugi!" Malik repeated with exasperation. He turned to cast a dubious look at Yuugi as if to say, "Are you sure about him?"

"Yuugi?" Atemu said, and the sudden sharp quality was filled with lucidity. He sat up, pillow falling from his head to his lap with a soft plop.

A strangled noise left Malik, and behind him, Ryou gasped audibly. Covered in gauze, bandaids, and butterfly stiches, Atemu's face was swollen and the area around the bandages was mottled with red and purple. It was a disquieting sight. However, Yuugi showed no reaction and approached the bed with a shy smile.

"Hi, Atemu," Yuugi said, and Atemu's eyes widened.

Instantly, he lied back down and pulled the pillow over his face.

"Don't look at me," Atemu bemoaned, "I'm ugly."

"Got that right," Malik said, not bothering to lower his voice.

"Malik," Ryou sighed, shaking his head. He came forward and pulled him back by his arm. "Come on, they don't need your comments."

"Everyone needs my comments," Malik argued, but he went without a fuss. They left the door open, and both Atemu and Yuugi could hear Malik go on in the hall. "How else are people going to improve themselves?"

In the room, Yuugi shifted uneasily on his feet, gazing down at the gifts in his arms with doubt. Standing before Atemu, he was no longer sure how they would be received. He chewed on his bottom lip, gulping dryly.

"Can I sit?" Yuugi asked, and Atemu let out a despairing sigh.

"Go ahead," Atemu said miserably, waving a hand beside him. "I'm glad you came."

He did not sound it, and it made Yuugi's heart sink.

"I already know you're injured," Yuugi said as he made his way around the bed. "You don't have to hide your face."

"I'm hideous," Atemu said flatly, and Yuugi sat on the edge. "Get me a paper bag."

"Atemu," Yuugi said, and an amused smile threatened to split his lips, "I don't care what you look like." He set the cake on the bedside table, the plastic surrounding the flowers crinkling with his movement. He held out the lion and nudged Atemu's hand. "I brought you 'get well' gifts," he said, but his voice was barely audible, muted with bashful uncertainty.

With his other hand, Atemu lifted the edge of the pillow, clearly peeking at the stuffed animal touching the back of his hand. He took it gently, bringing it closer to the small opening he had created. There was a moment of silence, and then a soft chuckle.

"I love it," Atemu said, and he slowly sat up, letting the pillow fall away and grunting when his side pained him. He pushed himself up with one arm, his other gripping his side. Once up, he hunched as he gazed at the lion, obvious happiness etched in the bruises on his face.

When Yuugi noticed the odd way he sat, he grabbed the discarded pillow and leaned, placing it carefully behind him.

"Thank you," Atemu said, leaning back comfortably. He sighed gratefully and gazed at Yuugi in pure contentment. "I wish someone had told me you were coming," he said regretfully as he ran a hand through his wayward red locks. "I would have brushed my hair at least." He rubbed his eyes with one hand and blinked slowly, undoubtedly still trying to overcome his drowsiness.

"I like your hair," Yuugi admitted, and he was not lying. As wild and unruly as Atemu's hair looked at that moment, Yuugi liked it. Embarrassed, he looked down, but at the sight of the flowers, he was stalled with hesitation.

"Are those for me?" Atemu asked, and Yuugi's heart skipped a beat as he nodded. He held them out, raising his gaze to see Atemu's delighted smile.

"Thank you, Yuugi," he said, and an embarrassed laugh left him. "You didn't have to get me anything … these are pretty." He touched the petals and Yuugi finally saw the splints on his fingers.

"Your hand," Yuugi whispered, his gut twisting.

"It's nothing," Atemu said, waving it. He presented it to Yuugi. "See? I'm fine." He wiggled his fingers, but Yuugi saw the wince Atemu tried to hide. He said nothing of it, though his heart clenched in his chest. "They'll be good as new within the month," Atemu said with a reassuring grin that was hindered by his split lip.

Seeing Atemu so obviously in pain made Yuugi ache. His stomach squirmed with guilt. If not for him, Atemu would not be bedridden.

"It's not your fault," Atemu said as if reading his mind. Yuugi looked at him. Atemu was serious, his eyes adamant, and Yuugi realized there must have been something in his face for Atemu to discern his thoughts.

"I don't think –" Yuugi tried to deny, but Atemu shook his head.

"Yeah, you were," he said. "It's all over your face, little one." As Yuugi's heart skipped another beat, Atemu frowned, looking down to his lap and sighing. "I went looking for trouble on my own," he said. "It's not your fault. I didn't have to beat up Ushio. That's on me. Not you – never you."

"You beat him up for me," Yuugi said stubbornly.

"And that was my choice," Atemu said firmly, meeting Yuugi's gaze head on. He grimaced. "I think I prefer having you mad at me. I don't like this." He sighed again, laying the flowers across his lap and staring at them. His gaze hardened. "Don't take responsibility for my actions," he said. "They're mine. I made them. Hold me accountable."

"You want me to be mad at you?" Yuugi asked.

"I'd rather you be angry with me than blame yourself," Atemu said with a shrug. "Anger fades, guilt is baggage."

"Okay," Yuugi said, and Atemu perked up his head, perplexed. Yuugi shifted nearer to him, bringing up his legs to push himself. He turned on the spot and sat next to Atemu, purposely bringing their sides flush next to each other. "I won't blame myself," Yuugi said quietly, "but I'm not going to be angry with you either." Slowly, he reached out, and Atemu did the same. They clasped hands and one by one, they entwined their fingers. "I'm just going to hope you get better soon," Yuugi said. "I missed you at school today. Everyone was quiet at lunch."

Atemu squeezed his hand, and while all Yuugi could do was look at their joined hands, he knew without looking that Atemu was smiling. His stomach flipped at the thought.

A growl from Atemu's stomach distracted them both and Atemu groaned in shame, but Yuugi laughed. He took the box from the bedside table and held it aloft over their thighs. He looked to Atemu and grinned at the embarrassed flush riddled across his cheeks.

"I brought you cake," he said, and the look of utter joy that Atemu gave him made his stomach flip with happiness.

"You're wonderful, Yuugi," Atemu said feelingly, and Yuugi felt a warmth in his face that had nothing to do with the heat outside.

"You are too, Atemu," Yuugi replied, and Atemu smiled softly before he leaned, touching a gentle kiss to Yuugi's cheek.

A/N: Do not ask for updates. Thank you. (Be sure to check out my other fics!)

Note: I am bilingual and anyone who would prefer to comment in Spanish is welcome to.