Yugi waited by the vault door, leaning against the wall beside it so as to not aggravate the millenium seal. He waited for Atem to return, feeling as if he'd been skinned alive. He couldn't believe his demon had gotten out. He thought he had sealed him away for good. He agreed with Atem's surmission that when he died the locks must have broken… that was the only logical explanation. He was surprised his demon was messing around within his dreams, using his most recent fears of death and lonliness against him but he hated that he messed with Atem, got inside his head and planted these seeds of doubt within him. He understood why Atem felt so slighted now. He trusted him with his life and he knew Atem knew this, so the fact that Atem had known for days and Yugi wouldn't tell him the truth, he understood why despite his respect for him that it hurt.

Atem finally returned, seemingly paler than before and lost within himself. He was shaken, perhaps in shock… he understood why.

"Thats the truth." Yugi said.

Without warning Atem pulled him into a tight hug, holding him closely and nuzzling into his hair, breathing in his scent and grabbing him almost too tightly.

"I'm so sorry." Atem cried. "I know this isn't my fault but I'm still so sorry. I wish I could have been there to stop you, to make you feel less lonely. I'm so relieved you're still here."

"... I won't be for much longer if you don't let go." Yugi joked weakly. Atem immediately let him go, petting him down and checking his face to make sure he was okay. He found such kindness and sympathy in his eyes that made his heart melt. His thumb rubbed his cheek as his fingers curled around his hair and for the longest moment they were lost within one another.

Yugi went to touch his hand when his gaze went to his wrist and slowly and gently he took his arm to brush his fingers against the scar up his arm.

"I was weak. I almost failed the test. It was close… too close. If I hadn't have knocked over the glass and if Grandpa hadn't been near enough to hear it then perhaps you and I would have been together sooner… my demon is strong in the way that he's honest. He's the embodiment of ugly truth… he isn't wrong when he said that I wanted more than anything to be with you, that I wanted to run away because I was weak and felt like nothing without you. He wasn't wrong."

"Yugi."

"Listen. I survived that night because of grandpa and my friends. They took me to hospital and when I recovered and came home I locked myself in my room again… I needed more time to come to terms with whats happened. Thats when they dragged me out, when they made me see what I was doing. Thats the night I took off and came back admitting I needed help. Thats when I took what I was, a shell, a blank slate of nothing and I built myself up. I became something. I'm not nothing anymore. I am someone that you can be proud of, someone I can be proud of and someone he has little power over anymore. He can use my fears, he can twist my mind, he can get inside my head and mess things up but he cannot deny who I am anymore."

Atem looked at him as if seeing him for the first time again, with such awe and wonder that Yugi couldn't help but smile. He wiped the tears from his cheeks and and giggled softly.

"I'm sorry he got to you. I never wanted you to see the darkest part of me. I never wanted you to be a victim of his cruelty. If I had known that he was free I would have chained him backup myself, kicking and screaming, before he could mess with you. I'm so sorry I let this happen."

Atem smiled softly, leaning into his hand affectionately.

"I'm sorry I pushed you so far. Thank you for letting me in. I know you trust me… I don't know why it bothered me so much that I couldn't know the extent even though I knew deep down I probably didn't need to see it."

"He planted seeds of doubt in you. This wasn't your doing. I trust you Atem and I know you know that." Yugi said sweetly.

"I love you Yugi." Atem whispered before he blinked and stepped away from him in fear of what he'd just said. Yugi only smiled though, seemingly unphased by his words which confused him. Why wasn't he surprised… why wasn't he mad or uncomfortable?

"I love you too Atem." He said kindly, smiling warmly.

Atem mind was racing, his heart plummeted as he played the words over and over and over again. Was he dreaming? Was he somehow in his room again? Was this real? "Whats that look for?" Yugi laughed.

No… it wasn't real… he meant it as friends. As if he loved any one of them; Joey, Tea, Tristan… he loved him as a friend.. And thats how he interpreted it when he said it to him. Thats why he wasn't surprised. Of course.

"No reason. I'm just … still a bit shaken." Atem said.

"Thats it? Did we not just go over this whole honesty thing?" Yugi asked him. He closed the distance he'd made and took his hand firmly in his.

"While we're being honest… why don't you follow me?" Yugi said and dragged him away out of his room and into Atem's. They were met with the large Palace hall in all it's golden glory.

"Why are we here?" Atem asked him nervously. What could possibly be in his soul room that Yugi wanted to show him?

Yugi didn't waste time searching for a room, he merely willed the door before him… the door Atem knew too well. He had made this room… but how did Yugi know of it? He hadn't shown him this room and he was so careful with it since he made it.

"I'm very sorry for intruding… I honestly didn't mean to. I respected your privacy immediately and closed it for you but you had left it open… I didn't see much but I saw enough…" Yugi explained.

"You…"

"I was working when I felt you getting worked up… adrenaline, heat, anxiety… I thought perhaps you were having a nightmare so I came to check on you… but you were…. You were just fine. So I closed the door to give you your privacy and left."

Atem was blushing deeply… he didn't know when Yugi found out about this room but he had been careless… at some point he had left the door open and he was told that Yugi would still feel his emotions if they were strong enough with the door open… when did he …

He remembered the clicking sound he heard the first time… that was just after he checked on him the night before … he saw what he was doing with him and had known about it all day…

Yugi opened the door for him and inside was darkness… pitch black nothingness…

"Looks like a good place to hide." Yugi joked. "I suppose it manifests whatever you want it to. Right now I'd say you want a place to hide right?"

"Yugi… I can explain…"

"You don't have to. I'm telling you I saw you with someone having time to yourself because I'm confused as to why it was my room you chose to … do that .. in. I mean of all places… whoever you were with.. In my room? Hardly the most sensual room you could think of." Yugi laughed.

"Whoever… I was with?" Atem asked. Did he not know it was a fake version of him?!

"Yeah… I don't want to pry. This isn't going to play on my mind… but I just wanted you to know that if you want time to yourself… then it's a good idea to maybe lock either this door or your soul room door so I don't rush in and see that. This is your privacy too you know."

"Do you know who I was with or not?" Atem asked quickly.

"No I just saw legs… and it was dark… I didn't stay long enough to see much more than your back and legs wrapped around you."

Atem sighed in relief, patting his chest down to try and calm his heart.

"Right… I'm sorry Yugi. I thought I had kept it closed…"

The darkness of the room shifted then to lighten up and he saw Yugi's bedroom again.

"Oh…" Yugi said in surprise at the sudden shift of the scenery. "That reacts quickly.. But why is it my room again?"

"This is his true desire… he may not want it, but his heart does. His heart wants you to know but he fears how you will react." Another Yugi said from a darker corner of the room… one that shouldn't be dark at all.

"Is that … me?" Yugi asked.

"Go away." Atem ordered the fake Yugi. The fake Yugi flashed a grin but left all the same, leaving the real Yugi and Atem to stand in awkward silence.

"I can explain… I just… I don't want to ruin anything."

"I'm listening." Yugi said to him, though something about his smirk made him feel as if he were walking into a trap.

"What that version of you said was true. This room is directly affected by my deepest desires even if I'm not yet aware of what they are or even if I want it to be so. That this room has taken the shape of your bedroom means to me that that is where I want to be."

"Okay. So what do you want me to know?"

Behind Yugi on the bed became an image of Atem and Yugi entwined together under the sheets. For the moment Yugi hadn't noticed this but Atem's tension and his deepening blush suggested he should look, thats when Atem moved quickly to grab his chin and face him towards him so he couldn't see.

"I'm not sure I'm ready for you to see that."

"I've already seen it Atem… who is it?" Yugi asked cheekily. Yugi blushed then and his eyes flashed something mischievous which terrified him … why was this day so cruel? He wished he could hide more than anything now.

In an instant his room became dark again so it was just he and Yugi… he could barely even see Yugi before him…. But he felt safer now at least.

"That was fast… I assume… the darkness means you want to hide." Yugi said more to himself than anything. "That still works for me."

As he couldn't see Yugi he felt safer, stronger… until he felt Yugi come closer to him, raise his hand to his neck and up his cheek and his breathing on his lips. His cheeks were on fire with how close he was to him and his body was stiffening in every area and in every way. His breath caught… his heart waited and his mind was racing so fast he almost felt a headache coming on.

"I think I've tortured you enough. I already know how you feel." Yugi whispered to him moments before closing the distance between their lips.

His lungs took in more air than he thought they could handle and he held it as Yugi pressed his lips passionately against his own while his hands gripped the back of his head to keep him close.

He didn't know what to do… does he grab him, does he kiss him back, does he let himself free to do as he wanted or does he stand here while Yugi took control? Would it be okay to touch him? He didn't know what to do… all he knew was this was not part of his imagination… this Yugi here was the real Yugi and had been this entire time which meant the real Yugi was kissing him and he had no idea why.

As the kiss went on Yugi tried to coax him into relaxing, licking his lips playfully to get him to budge and pressing his chest against his but still Atem was rigid. Biting his lip playfully he raised his leg to slide against the inside of his thigh until he reached his crotch and thats what shook him into reacting. Atem grabbed him forcefully, either side of his head and deepened the kiss with such lust and desire it was incredible. He allowed Yugi entry into his mouth as his hands explored his back, his waist and pulled his hips against his own. It was thrilling to have unleashed the beast like this and as they continued making out with such passion the room changed again, back to his bedroom yet again where Atem could push him against his desk, knocking books and papers over, shoving aside his lamp to give Yugi room to sit with Atem between his legs.

After a while of making out they mutually needed to stop so they could breathe and give their bodies a moment to cool down. Yugi didn't have to read his partners mind to know that his mind was racing with hundreds of questions he couldn't grasp and to see such confusion was a delight. He himself was quite clear albeit flushed and feverish.

"It feels good …. To be honest with … yourself. Doesn't it?" Yugi asked breathlessly.

"Yeah…" Atem whispered before he realised what he had said. "You…?

Yugi nodded. "I've known since that night I slept in your room with you. As magnificent as you are you lack subtly. Truth be told I wanted to see how far we could go, where we could take it and how it would feel… but I was exhausted and fell asleep before I could even try to make a move… then I was swamped with work… even now I feel fatigue pulling me away but I wanted to tell you that I knew… I wanted to close the distance between us and settle your heart… the truth about my past bothering you aside I knew there was something else playing on you… I didn't know what it was until I saw this room but a chance to bring it up never came up… you kept to yourself since then until now." Yugi explained.

"I was still trying to figure out how I felt but I knew I couldn't avoid you forever. The truth of this room terrified me and I had no idea what I was feeling even after I pushed away from it."

"Pushed away from it?" Yugi asked him, adorably cocking his head to the side.

"What you saw didn't last much longer than that. I avoided this room after that until now."

"So you've not gone that far with me then." Yugi said cheekily, grinning wickedly and nibbling on his bottom lip with hunger in his eyes that made him blush.

"No… this is about as far as I've been…"

"With anyone?" Yugi asked.

"Yugi." Atem laughed.

"What I'm curious." Yugi shrugged.

"... Yes… with anyone."

"Wow. Weird to think there's something I have more experience in."

"You… do?" Atem asked… He seemed almost sad to hear it but a part of him knew. He was in his twenties now… of course he would have.

"I'll tell you about it later. So… you've seen the darkest part of me… and I've seen the … lustiest part of you."

Atem laughed at that. It was good to see him relax again.

"I guess this means no more secrets between us, yeah?" Atem asked him.

Yugis smile fell from him and silence gripped him tightly. Atem could sense it with ease but waited to see if he would say what was on his mind.

"No more secrets… but I do have something I'd like to discuss with you but if you don't mind Id like to wait until after ive delivered these artifacts to the museum and maybe a nap?"

"Okay… can I ask vaguely what it is? Just so I'm not over thinking?"

"It's a proposition. I have an idea but it could be risky and I'm going to need a lot longer than 5 minutes to explain. And im going to need our friends on board as well."

"Okay… I trust you've given whatever it is some thought but I can wait until youve rested."

"Great. Then… I should probably eat something. It's probably been long enough now to start packing the crates too." Yugi said as he pushed himself off the desk.

"Do you mind if i follow you?"

"I never do." Yugi smiled.