"You know, I've been spending a lot of time in malls lately."

"Is that a problem?" Atem turned away from the wall of cosmetics to grin at his partner, playing a randomly picked up eyeliner pencil across his fingers. It was green.

Yuugi grinned at the lazy display, shaking his head as he picked up a pencil himself, toying with it in a far more modest manner as he admitted, "No, not really. It's just funny. We barely ever come to places like this, and suddenly it's three times in the last week! Or, is it four?"

"You're the one who suggested we meet here," Atem teased, dropping his pencil to steal his partner's. He considered it for a moment, then tossed it aside with a derisive flair. Honestly. Brown. "I wouldn't have thought to come myself."

"You weren't complaining when I brought it up." Something poked him in the shoulder, and Atem turned around to Yuugi's grin… and the end of another pencil, poking him in the nose.

White this time.

"This one better?"

Atem didn't reply. Just shot his partner a look that said he knew full well Yuugi wasn't serious, stole that pencil, and put it back where it came from with a few pointed moves.

Yuugi snickered.

"I just thought you had something in mind, and wanted to make you happy," Atem went on, fighting back a smile as he focused on a neighboring shelf. "We should celebrate you passing your test."

"There's no way you could have known that this morning, when you agreed to go. And I don't actually have the score yet, you know."

"I have faith. And you felt it went well, right?"

"Heh, I guess…"

"Well," Atem insisted, grabbing another pencil – black, as it always should have been – before spinning around to grin at his partner. "Why did you want to come out here?"

Yuugi shrugged, but the way he hid his hands in his pockets and smiled the other way told Atem that Yuugi knew exactly why they were there. He just wasn't saying.

Yuugi had a secret.

And Atem loved that he didn't know what it was. With a look like that, it could only be something good.

"Well," Yuugi echoed, focusing on the eyeliner in Atem's toying hands. "Why do you want your own makeup?"

Atem's fingers stilled and he frowned, arm dropping to his side. "Your mother caught me putting on eyeliner this morning, and I mentioned that I was borrowing yours… She says it's unsanitary."

Yuugi's curiosity curdled, a grimace staining his face as he looked down at the makeup again. "Oh… I neither thought about that."

"Neither did I."

…Not really a surprise, if Atem was honest with himself. It was obvious that it wasn't safe to share things like that, but sometimes they just forgot that they came in twos now, particularly with things back home. Yes, the actual, physical reality of being 'two' came naturally enough to them. Even as a spirit, Atem had always acknowledged his partner's personal space, as Yuugi had his. And, even if touching his partner had felt nothing like it did now, there had always been a tangible weight to it. An odd, non -sensation when they made contact. Even when Atem floated as a spirit at his partner's back, he had always been conscious of Yuugi, just a 'breath' in front of him.

Apparently, Yuugi had felt the same.

Since the museum, they had never had to spare a thought to making room for one another– to sit on the bed, or the floor, or the sofa, moving aside when one needed to slip through a door or reach for something while the other was in the way. Even in the tight space of Yuugi's bedroom, working around one another came to them as naturally as breathing.

Other things… not so much.

More than one evening, Yuugi had come back from his bath only to stop at his bedroom door, stare at a baffled Atem, and slap himself in the face, proclaiming that he'd let the water out of the tub before Atem could use it.

And last night, as Yuugi set up a new game for them to try, Atem had gone downstairs to get them a drink… and come back with only one glass.

And just that afternoon, he had had to double back to the shop and call Yuugi's cellphone to ask where exactly in the mall they were meeting, because he didn't have his own cell, and Yuugi wouldn't hear him if Atem just asked in his head.

But there was nothing negative about those hiccups, and most of them prompted little more than a disconcerted pause, and a laugh as they processed their own blunder, and–

Well.

A grin bubbled up Atem's face at the memory of Yuugi's laugh, over the phone… and last night, Yuugi had offered to just share the drink. The smile they'd shared as they passed it between them during the game… the wonder that they had the chance to make that sort of mistake at all, share something in such a way…

Atem's fingers tingled just to think of it.

He needed his own makeup now.

Or… well, he could do without for the next few weeks. But that would be senseless. He had money to burn in his pocket, and Yuugi was more than happy to help, ceasing his hunt of the cosmetics wall when he found the familiar liquid liner brand, offering a tube to Atem.

"Here it is. You want to use what I do, or keep looking for something else? I bet they have some proper kohl around here somewhere. We could ask the staff, if you want."

Atem smiled but shook his head, putting back his latest pencil before taking the tube from his partner… lingering needlessly long in the exchange to a thumb over Yuugi's before pulling away. "No, this is fine. I'm used to this. Besides, I'm getting hungry."

"Haha, yeah." Yuugi looked away, lips pinching back a grin as he glanced to the door, rubbing his hand on his pants in a restless manner. "I bet you skipped lunch just to get here in time, didn't you?"

Atem's smile turned coy as he shrugged, turning for the shop counter as he deflected the accusation right back at him. "And I heard that someone got the high score on a racing game downstairs when he was supposed to help Otogi set up his shop. I'd like to see if that score is actually unbeatable."

"Jounouchi-kun told you, didn't he?"

"Not even a denial, hmm?"

"No point in hiding what you can check for yourself."

"Always so wise, aibou."

"Pfft– Though, you know, that score may already be gone."

"Don't be absurd."

They never had the chance to check.

Atem stepped out of the elevator the moment the doors opened to the food court, Yuugi right there at his heels as they weaved through the crowd. "Mou hitori no boku! Slow down! We're supposed to eat, remember?"

"Come on, aibou. " Atem shot a smile over his shoulder, slowing just enough for his partner to catch up and not get separated from him. "I'm too pumped to play now!"

Yuugi shook his head, but there was a grin on his face as he insisted, "I'm flattered my score's so tempting to crush, but we should at least grab you a pretzel or something."

"They don't allow food in the arcade," Atem countered with all the sobriety he could muster, earning nothing but a snicker for his gravitas. "And I'd rather wait than scarf down something fast, or delay the game." Far from being insulted by Yuugi's amusement, Atem winked. "You can treat me properly after I dethrone you." Yuugi's laughter curled in on itself, folding into silence, but Atem saw the appreciation shining behind his smile, charmed by the light of it.

It was hard to look away, but then Yuugi blinked, focusing on something behind Atem… and his expression burst with shock, setting off alarms in Atem's head as he whirled around–

And stumbled back, nearly falling on his ass.

A great brown dog towered over him.

Said, "What're you guys doing here?"

"What–" Yuugi managed, Atem silent, struck mute as one part of his brain registered the voice, recognized it, realized he was looking up at a mascot– but the majority of his mind still reeled, thrown off from reality all the sharper when the dog's head came off and–

"Jounouchi-kun?!"

"Hey, Yuugi. Atem." A familiar face topped with blond hair and covered in sweat grimaced down at them. Jounouchi balanced the dog head under one arm and clutched a bunch of balloon strings in the paw of the other, rubbing his face with the furry fist and leaving dashes of brown behind on his cheek. "Goddamn, this thing's sweltering!"

"Jounouchi, what'd I tell you about taking the head off out here?! If you scare a kid–" The approaching voice cut sharply off when the speaker popped out of the crowd, and saw them.

Atem and Yuugi stare back, understanding and surprise mixing in equal measure as Otogi matched them baffled look for baffled look, and ignorantly echoed, "What're you guys doing here?"

No one answered.

"Don't say a word."

No one had said anything, but Jounouchi still glowered at them like they'd all been snickering at his stumbling efforts to rip himself out of the mascot suit.

But Atem and Yuugi were just standing there, in a cleared corner of the staff room Otogi had led them to… hovering awkwardly between a line of lockers and a stack of cardboard boxes.

Atem peered curiously at the top ones, wondering at their precarious balance and dangerous proximity to them as his partner offered a stumbling, "We, ah, didn't know you'd be here today. I guess you're advertising for the big opening Monday?"

"Yeah," Otogi sighed, ducking under a flying dog head without a single break to his composure or frown. "We're supposed to have a free ice cream hour at six today, and again tomorrow."

"…Are you guys going to have time to come to the amusement park, then?" Yuugi asked, and Atem looked back to see his partner frowning, uncertainty staining his face. "It sounds like you're busy."

"What, you think we'd skip?!" Jounouchi snapped, his irritation sliding from tart to smiling as he smirked at Yuugi, kicking off the last of the mascot suit– and making them all look up at the ceiling when they realized he wasn't wearing anything but a t-shirt and boxers underneath. "As if."

"Otou-san said he'd prep everything tomorrow," Otogi confirmed, and when Atem dared a glance back, he saw Otogi was offering them a grin that was… far too thin. "If we leave the park by four, we'd make it back in time."

Atem narrowed his eyes on that shallow cheer. "But something's gone wrong."

…Otogi sighed, shoulders slumping. "You can tell, huh? Yes, we were supposed to get the chairs and tables in this morning," he admitted, waving at the pile of boxes. "But they only arrive an hour ago, and the deliverer said we didn't pay the fee to have them pre-assembled."

"Didn't pay, my ass," Jounouchi grumbled, and the faint clint of metal assured Atem it was safe to look in his direction again. The blond was buckling his pants, the glower he focused on Otogi completely disengaged from his efforts to dress. "I don't have to see the receipts to know they're just making that shit up because they forgot or something."

"The point is, we spent a long time squabbling with the delivery guys, and now we don't have time to get everything ready," Otogi finished in an insistent tone, sighing again as he frowned at the staff room door. "We were considering just going without seating today, or just canceling altogether. We have to get them assembled some time before Monday, and we have to be out of the mall before it closes. So, if we're going to find the time…"

…Atem looked to his partner, Yuugi turning to him in the same moment, the same concern in his eyes.

It would be hard for them to recover from the damage if they canceled a free giveaway at the last second, or didn't present themselves well when they showed up.

Yuugi tilted his head, not breaking eye contact.

Atem nodded.

Yuugi turned back to Otogi, his smile soft. "Could we help at all?"

Otogi stared at him, turned the same surprised look on Atem… and shook his head, laughing to himself. "Why am I even surprised…"

"Don't ask me," Jounouchi chimed in, grinning at Yuugi and Atem before turning a light taunt on Otogi. "I thought you were trying to ask for help with that spiel."

"Not exactly–"

"Ryuuji, did you finish putting together the–"

The new voice cut off before it finished, but tension still shot up the back of Atem's neck so fast and sharp, he couldn't breathe as he turned around to face the open doorway, and the man standing in it.

Mr. Otogi stood there, hand still on the knob as he looked at Yuugi… then turned to Atem.

The faint tension in his face flashed to complete, baffled shock.

And fear.

Likely due to whatever he read on Atem's face.

"–Otou-san!" Otogi exclaimed, moving into the edge of Atem's periphery as he remained focused on the old masked man in the doorway, watching him turn confused, distracted eyes on his son. "Did you finish blowing up the rest of the balloons?" The father opened his mouth, but struggled for an answer– and Otogi didn't wait for him to find it, turning and waving back at them with a smile. "Yuugi-kun and Atem-kun have offered to help us with the setup."

The man did a double take and stared at Atem all over again– then quickly looked down, because Atem hadn't stopped staring at him, the shifted prompting Mr. Otogi's eyes to land on Atem's chest… and go wide.

Atem didn't comment. Just reached up and held the Puzzle… tapping its eye with an idle finger.

Mr. Otogi flinched– as a hand caught Atem's elbow.

"It's no bother, sir," Yuugi insisted, smiling towards the older man, ignoring how Atem frowned at him as Yuugi let go again. "We were done with what we needed to do today, and just killing time until we caught the train. It'll be fun to stay and help!"

That was a lie. They were on a date.

And Atem was half-tempted to say so, onlookers and consequences be damned, but his dear, clever partner turned to him first, face alight with a smile. "Right, mou hitori no boku?"

Atem… slid into a grimace, mouth twisting around two-way torn replies.

Mr. Otogi rushed into the chasm left by the silence, blurting out, "That's too kind of you," in a rough, raspy voice that made Atem think of smoke-choked throats, and locked metal doors. "But you've already helped us with the opening so much, Yuugi-san, we couldn't possibly–"

"Yes, we can accept," the younger Otogi cut in, going from insisting to grateful as he focused on Yuugi. "I'll find a way to repay them later for the both of us, Otou-san, but we aren't really in a position to be proud here."

"I second that." Jounouchi raised his hand in a mock vote, then scratched his nose, grinning at the troubled masked man. "Sorry, sir, but given my back is the one that'd end up broken without them, I'm with Otogi on this."

"Then it's decided," Yuugi proclaimed, his friendly smile cutting through the fight in the father's covered face, Atem's back and shoulders dropping in silent surrender. "We're staying and helping. What do you need done?"

"They didn't even leave you instructions?"

Otogi sighed, cutting open another box. "No. Believe it or not, you have to order them separately. And since we expected the company to assemble the furniture–"

"You didn't order them," Atem finished, tearing open a box of his own. "I get it."

And he did. They had been given a crap hand, and now they all just had to make the best of it and hope that dividing and conquering would prove an effective solution.

Mr. Otogi and Yuugi were back at the shop truck focusing on the ice cream and food prep while Atem and Otogi assembled furniture in the staff room and Jounouchi carried on with the balloons and advertising… unhappy as he was about putting that dog suit back on.

Atem had accepted his furniture assembly assignment without comment, turning to the boxes as soon as he and Otogi were alone.

He scrutinized the pieces as he opened another box, asked Otogi just how many tables and chairs they were dealing with, and shook his head at the answer.

"We won't have enough room to put them all together here," he murmured, gaze ticking over the pieces of a chair before he looked back to Otogi. "We'll have to take them out one at a time, or in groups or something… And we should keep the pieces we don't need yet in the boxes. Focus first on putting together one chair and table each, then label all of the pieces somehow, so that we know where they came from. 'Box 1' on the bottom of a chair leg, 'Box 2' on the table top piece, and so on. And put matching labels on the boxes. Then we can create our own guide from the pieces."

Otogi nodded through the suggestions, looking at the boxes with thoughtful eyes. "Right. That should work… That's a good plan, Atem-kun. Quick, too."

Atem grunted faintly at the compliment, taking out four legs. "You don't mind me marking them up in the process?"

"No, not as long as it's in pencil. We can erase it afterwards."

"Then let's line up the boxes and go from there. Can you get a marker for the boxes, at least?"

"Sure."

By the time Otogi came back, Atem had finished cutting open and lining up all of the boxes by contents, accepting the marker handed to him without even looking up and going right into drawing a large '1' on the first box's lid. "Thanks."

Otogi hummed in answer… then after a moment, spoke up properly. "Hey, Atem-kun?"

Atem's hand paused as he processed the careful lightness behind his name… resuming drawing a '2' on the next box after a long, silent beat. "Yes?"

"Are you mad you got roped into this? You didn't say anything when Yuugi volunteered, and you've been frowning like a wet dog ever since."

Atem stalled again on the third lid and looked over his shoulder… to discover Otogi scrutinizing him right back.

He stifled the urge to grimace and turned back to his work, his reply distant. "I'm not mad."

And he wasn't, however he might sound. It was easy enough to sacrifice time for friends, after all… he just hadn't expected to see him.

Atem hadn't come face-to-face with the older Otogi since that day in the Black Clown game shop, months ago… Had never come face-to-face with him at all, actually. He only knew him by voice and static, secondhand perception. After all, Atem never traded places with his partner before… he was taken…

Perhaps that was why, even as Mr. Otogi walked around like some macabre shadow of a clown, it was his voice that clawed through Atem's memory. He'd heard him, after all, from inside the Puzzle, beyond his locked soul room door, laughing as he stole him from his partner, and broke him apart… then later, bawling apologies after Atem was back in Yuugi's hands.

His burnt hands.

He knew his partner had expressed forgiveness for the old man, back then and recently, having become reacquainted with Mr. Otogi while he helped the small family with their café opening.

But Atem could not share the sentiment.

He had never forgiven him.

Seeking vengeance, endangering him and his partner– those were threats Atem had faced time and time again from many others. And with many, he had found the heart to forgive, even befriend, the way so often lighted by his partner's bright kindness.

But Otogi's father had ripped him from his partner.

Torn him apart.

Left him helpless, unable to do anything as Yuugi burned, the bitter taste of Atem's own… lack of substance smoldering in his mouth.

He hadn't been able to wash it out since.

He couldn't swallow that.

Couldn't forgive it.

But… Atem saw little logic in stating such ire in front of the man's son, who was frowning down at him right then, just at the edge of his vision.

Instead, he focused on the box in front of him, and better truths. "It blindsided me, but that doesn't mean I don't want to help. I know you'd do the same for me." He smiled, putting the cap back on the marker and snapping it shut with a thumb. "And aibou's happy, too." That much was obvious. Yuugi had been right there with Otogi, trying to make Jounouchi feel better about putting the suit back on… and stumbling when their best friend asked why Mr. Otogi couldn't handle the menus alone, since the prep shouldn't take long. Yuugi could help Jounouchi with the giveaway! Or be an extra hand in the furniture assemblage, so that they could get the whole thing done sooner!

And Yuugi had just floundered, excuses flying across his face… until Atem finally smiled and asked if his partner just wanted to play with the chalk.

Yuugi had laughed, scratching his head as he dodged their eyes.

Atem smiled at the memory, offering Otogi a far easier, "Don't worry about it."

Otogi kept right on staring at him… but his frown soon faded, and he shrugged as whatever he saw in Atem apparently disappeared. "Well, either way, I'm grateful."

Atem hummed, turning back to the boxes to lift a loose table top out of the third box– and stumbled for balance under the weight. "We should– try the table first! It looks simpler!"

There was a loud snort at his back, then a pair of hands popped up on one side, and the weight stopped bearing down so hard on Atem's back. "Come on, don't lift that thing alone."

"It's fine." Between them, they heaved the tabletop onto the floor face down, Atem free to catch his breath as he looked through the boxes for a support beam. "We might need help to get it out of here once it's assembled, though."

"Trust me, I've got it."

With that confident, rather hypocritical claim, the two struggled with the furniture until they had what looked like a perfectly sound little round table, every piece properly secured into place.

And Atem stood back, satisfied, and simply watched as Otogi worked, penciling numbers onto the table to guide them for the next round. Atem could well have pulled out chair parts and started on that assembly… but he found himself lingering, staring at his friend's focused profile… and wondering.

Before long, Otogi sensed the attention, stopped, and turned to peer up at him, a silent question on his face.

So Atem went ahead and asked, "How did you end up doing this?"

"…Ordering furniture?"

"Opening a café."

"Oh." Otogi gave a snort and relaxed back into a smirk, focusing on a table foot. "That came from… well, Otou-san," he admitted, shooting Atem the briefest of looks.

Atem stared back without comment or any facial twitch, having half-expected the answer and steeled himself against reacting with anything but simple interest.

So, the dark-haired teen turned back to his work, tone as light as always. "Not directly. I suggested it, but I got the idea because I remembered he helped at a café when he was younger to work off some gambling debts. He always spoke of the time fondly, and– well." He shrugged, then tossed his pencil towards the boxes and sat back on his heels, facing Atem, all illusions of work set aside. "Since we didn't want to try for another game shop, or anything too risky, we decided to invest what we had in something different– like this."

That was sensible. All things considered, it made perfect sense.

And yet, Atem frowned over the words, chewing them slowly and spitting them out when something stuck in his teeth as off. "But, you were so set on creating and playing games. Starting up a whole new business in a new field is highly impressive on its own, but working in a place like this can't be as creatively exciting as game design…"

Atem trailed off.

And Otogi just kept staring at him… until Atem realized with a tense start that Otogi wasn't speaking because he knew there was more to it than Atem had said. That he read it in Atem's face.

Atem clenched his jaw, unsure whether to admit it and just, say… but he wanted to know, and if Otogi already saw the question in him– "I'm glad you're free from it," Atem said, eying the other teen for any sign that his question was unwelcome. "But you spent so long focused on one goal."

Otogi didn't respond, but his face went slack, and Atem saw the understanding darken his eyes.

Revenge.

The tool of his father's revenge, but that vengeance had still been Otogi's whole– sole purpose in life for… perhaps his whole life, Atem wasn't sure when Mr. Otogi first lighted on the idea of using his son for his revenge. How early Otogi was conscious of it. But that didn't change the fact that vengeance had been the reason for everything Otogi did up until a few months ago, and… Atem had been too caught up in his own doubt and struggles to give much thought to the young man's perspective. To what that shift must have meant to him.

And, now that he was–

"Have you ever wondered," Atem started again, too far into the jump to do anything but leap forward. "What's supposed to come after?"

…He'd lost him.

Confusion clouded over Otogi's expression, but still– he was still trying to understand. Atem could see that. And he rushed on, before either of them could give up. "Clearly you've found something in building this place, but is it what you feel you're supposed to do? Don't you ever feel…"

…He didn't know.

Or rather, he couldn't say.

Not when he saw understanding rising again in Otogi's eyes. Clarity.

Atem tensed to see it.

He… felt exposed.

He swallowed, fighting back the awareness that there was anything to fight– and waited.

…The silence dragged on until Atem regretted ever breaking it to begin with.

But eventually, never looking away, barely blinking, Otogi kept eying him… and admitted, "Sometimes." So simply, Atem couldn't remain hard in the face of it, blinking out of a stone poker face to stare at him, openly intrigued, until Otogi shrugged and considered the table beside him. "When I'm not working in the shop, or hanging out with you guys, or just– I'll finish eating dinner, or wake up early, or head home after school on a day off, and realize that I have nothing to do… Well, not nothing, but nothing I have to do, you know?"

He did.

Atem knew perfectly well what he meant.

But he didn't speak. His mouth felt too full to talk, and he wouldn't have dared even if he could. He didn't want to risk Otogi stopping when he had more to say.

And he kept going, focusing back on Atem with a faint, untroubled frown. "I'm still getting used to having… you know, a real choice in how I spend my time. I keep thinking that whatever I spend time on, it should be working towards something. Something specific." He snorted, smirked at Atem– or rather, himself. "I find myself cheating a lot, reading how-to business books before bed, checking the accounts when I meant to focus on the TV, taking a run as much to stay in shape as to relax…"

…Atem smiled.

Otogi's expression softened at the sight.

And when he mentioned his father, Atem didn't feel a single urge to frown.

"But you know, Otou-san really wants to make amends. Build a new life together." He gestured widely, yet lazily at the surrounding room. The boxes, and the chairs, the furniture and staff room and mall and the business as a whole– then shrugged again, crossing his arms. "And yeah, it doesn't take as much time or focus as a game shop, honing my skills or designing a game. And sometimes, those free hours are almost unbearable… that sense that I'm in the wrong place, but frustrated because I don't know what the right place would be… But, building a life with the people around me, who matter to me? That is my goal now." Otogi smiled, looking almost proud– and overwhelmed. "And accepting that not everything I do 'matters' is just part of that. And I can't regret anything I do when I just stop and think how, every slow hour I work here, no customer in sight, every night I feel directionless, every hour 'wasted' on hanging out with my friends or watching a new show or just resting, lazing around? I'm still working towards a better life, and a better future– one that I can share with Otou-san. With the people that matter to me."

The conclusion was clear to hear in his words, and… all Atem could do was stare. Float in a response that was… too large to dare process.

Not there.

Not in front of Otogi.

And Otogi let the silence hang… for a while. But only a while.

Then he smirked, voice teasing and light and good-natured as he asked, "Did that answer your question?"

Atem swallowed the lump in his throat. "Yes," he managed, nodding… then, after a pause, "Thank you."

"No problem," Otogi dismissed, gaze laughing but still contemplative as they considered one another… until Otogi stood, walked around Atem, and crouched beside the boxes, taking out pieces.

Atem turned and watched, staring at his back… some part of him aching as Otogi's words slowly, fully sunk in… and all he could do was wonder at Otogi's clarity. His devotion to building something like that… a dream that wasn't just an end goal, but an open road, and one he could share with the people he loved.

It was marvelous.

He was truly… very lucky.

…

And he was putting together a chair.

Atem blinked out of his thoughts and rushed to crouch beside him, claiming a wiry table leg from Otogi's hand. "This is my job, remember?"

Otogi snorted, smirking at him before claiming another leg. "You were dawdling too much."

"We were talking. And I could put together one of these and have it labeled well before you even finish assembling one."

"Oh, you think so, huh?"

"Wanna bet?"

He didn't get the chance to prove it.

Otogi gave him room to try, but they were both still screwing on the chair seats when the door burst open and Yuugi reappeared, beaming. "Menu's done!"

Atem blinked up at him– and smirked, side-eying Otogi to see a similar amusement splashed across his face. "Good job. I take it it's colorful?"

"Well, yeah. Why?"

"You're walking around with quite a sample of it there," Otogi teased, smile widening as Yuugi followed his pointing by rubbing his cheek– smudging yellow and red marks across more of his face.

"Oh, well, guess I forgot about the chalk, and– is it gone?"

Atem bit back a laugh and smiled, waving his partner towards him. "Come here."

Yuugi came, mute and curious-eyed, and Atem licked his thumb to rub out the spots… the job getting pointedly harder as his partner's entire face went red and hid much of the chalk.

"D-did you get it? I can just go to the bathroom and clean it up myself, you know…"

"Of course, of course," Atem assured, staring at Yuugi's face… clean save for a single rogue line of green on the side of his nose…

He smiled. "Don't worry. It's gone now."

Yuugi looked back at him for a long, drawn out second… then scratched his nose, barely missing the mark. "Oh. Thanks."

"Anyways," Otogi cut in, fighting back quite the laugh Atem noted. "Thanks, Yuugi-kun. If you're willing to help us out here, I think we'll have all of this together before the opening."

"Of course! You want me to carry this table out?"

"Hoooow about Atem-kun shows you how to put together a chair, instead?"

"Seriously, how many did we put together?"

"About a hundred," Atem replied, sound in his certainty as he and his partner looked on from the side of the café truck, watching as dozens of people gathered around recently screwed together tables, and lined up at the window for their free ice cream.

Atem would have happily helped promote the cones, if anyone had asked him, but Otogi had dismissed his and Yuugi's offers and pushed ice cream into their hands, thanking them for their help before shooing them out of the truck so that they could open for business.

So, the two just looked on from the side, lingering to see how things went as they ate their ice cream.

Atem quickly discovered he didn't like matcha flavor.

Yuugi was happy to trade him, though, munching away at the matcha and vanilla twist while Atem sampled and embraced his partner's sacrificed mint chocolate.

He was down to the cone in a matter of minutes, crunching the first bite of it between his teeth as he mused about making farewells and coaxing Yuugi to continue their date, when–

"…not, but how could they not know something about a whole monster leveling a museum?"

Atem cringed, swallowing a huge chunk of cone that threatened to choke him.

He fought past the burst of pain and lost air, focusing on the nearest table.

A trio of ladies sat there, one with a young boy on her lap, happily devouring his ice cream as his mother or sitter or whoever she was focused on her company, an irritated frown edged in distress on her face as she protested, "They have to know by now, right? That had to be an attack of some sort, right? And I heard about a third of the collections were destroyed in the collapse! That's so much lost, even if no one was hurt!"

"That we know of," replied one of the other two, her back to Atem and words so quiet, he barely heard her.

He strained his ears, trying to make out their every word– but a hand gripped his elbow suddenly, and he jerked out of his stare to discover his partner looking at him, no shock on his face.

He tipped his head in a 'follow me' gesture, then walked away.

…Atem trailed after him, the continuing chatter of, "Maybe they're just covering it up for a security risk… planning to–" fading away behind him.

"They talk about it a lot at school, too," Yuugi shared the moment they were safely out of hearing, on the other side of the café crowd.

Atem still scanned the people closest to them for any sign of interest in the conversation before he replied. "I honestly expected it to be a far bigger deal to the public. It had to seem unbelievable to most– like your mother, before she saw me."

"Oh, it's been pretty big, believe me. But after the first week, people stopped worrying about it in the same way. It's all mostly just complaints that no one's explained it convincingly yet." Yuugi smiled, relaxing and taking another bite of his ice cream before adding, "At least no one's been throwing around real blame over it. The news speculates now and then, right? But no one's accused anybody on a national or legal level or anything."

"That we know of," came a third voice, and they turned to see a familiar great dog leaning over beside them, a bunch of bright balloons floating over its head as it whispered, "Maybe they're just covering it up, you know? Getting ready to–"

"Jounouchi, three kids just walked by looking at the balloons," Otogi cut in, popping up right behind the mascot with a tray in each hand and a glower on his face. "Will you focus on your work for five minutes?"

Whatever Jounouchi said was lost in the suit, but sounded rude, if tone was anything to go by. He left them with only that incoherent grumble, though, heading straight for a family walking by.

Atem and Yuugi blinked from his retreating form to Otogi, who smiled at them apologetically. "Sorry, guys. We can talk later. Gotta run!" And then he was gone, heading to a table to deliver some ice cream to two waiting guys.

Left alone once more, Atem shot his partner an uncertain look, but Yuugi only shrugged. "I feel like we should go… but I kind of wanted to say goodbye to everybody. You know, properly."

"Yeah…" Atem agreed, watching their friends work… and the crowd around them… turning back to his partner with a frown. "Do you really think there won't be trouble for the museum?" He'd felt bad enough as it was, knowing how much damage the building collapse had caused, and everything that was lost– but, if it might yet follow them home? Or even cause international issues–

But his partner just smiled, shaking his head. "I really don't think so. The cops never showed up, and all the people I've heard mention it in public? Or at school? Most of them don't believe it was even real, even with all the news coverage. It was just too unreal for them, so people keep guessing that it was some phony thing to cover an attack on the museum… or a stunt or surprise-gone-wrong with Duel Monsters holograms, staged by KaibaCorp."

Atem stared at him… and shook his head, a smile fighting to claim his face. "I bet Kaiba doesn't appreciate that."

"Nope, probably not. Though he didn't mention it when he showed up before, so…" Yuugi trailed off, eyes dropping… to focus on Atem's ice cream. "Are you going to finish that?"

Atem looked down and realized that his partner had wiped out his ice cream completely at some point… and now looked quite interested in what remained of his.

Atem's smile curled, and he hummed low in his throat, spinning the half-gone cone between his fingers. "Oh, I'll try my best," he assured, raising it to his mouth.

But something flashed in his partner's eyes, and just for a moment, he smirked.

Atem's heart skipped a beat, his hand froze, and– he was staring into a mass of black spikes, only to blink and discover his partner there again, facing him with a smile, jaw moving as he chewed, the dashes of wet green staining his mouth a soft match to the chalk marks on his nose.

Atem… looked back down at his hand.

The cone was gone.

Yuugi ate it.

"There! I took care of it for y– aaagh!" Yuugi whined suddenly, his cheeky grin collapsing as he held his head, grimacing in pain. "Brain freeze!"

Atem thought he would cry.

If he said anything, he'd laugh so hard he'd cry.

But the moment passed quickly, and Yuugi was quick to notice his expression, squinting at him through one eye and a strained grin. "What?"

"What, what?"

"Why are you looking at me like that? Do I have something on my face?"

Atem breathed deep, shook his head, and thanked the gods for the sweet gift his partner just handed him on a silver platter.

"It's fine." He focused on Yuugi's nose, brushing it with his thumb and grinning when it wrinkled. "The ice cream blends well with the chalk."

He focused back on Yuugi's eyes to find him blinking, face blank with understanding slowly processing behind his eyes… and then he stopped blinking. Rubbed his nose, looked down at his fingers, stained green… and his face twisted in a way that only got more hilarious as he hissed, "Mou hitori no boku, you didn't –"

Atem laughed.

Ten minutes later, Atem's ice cream was still gone, he was still smiling, but not laughing.

He smothered his snickers when Yuugi tossed a wet hand towel in his face for trailing after him into the bathroom and chuckling 'like a smug hyena'.

So, they were both quiet as they lingered at the edge of the café, relaxed but watchful.

Waiting.

It wasn't long before Otogi noticed them, and Yuugi waved him over, grinning at new business owner. "We just wanted to say goodbye, you know? Before we left."

"Heh, I assumed you were gone already." Otogi grinned, fists on his hips as he looked over his shoulder at the shop, still busy with a couple dozen customers as the free ice cream hour came to a close. "You don't have to rush, though. It's half-thanks to you that we even managed this. I'm happy to keep the ice cream flowing until the mall closes– at an astonishingly generous discount."

Atem snorted, smirking as his partner laughed and scratched his cheek. "Thanks, but we still have some stuff to do. If we could just say bye to–" Yuugi turned to look for Jounouchi– only to grimace upon sighting him. "Aa…"

Atem cocked a brow himself, bemused by the sight of a giant dog surrounded by half a dozen kids, all hopping on their feet and reaching for his raised hand.

The balloons had gotten popular.

"He must have yelled they're free too loudly again," Otogi huffed, shooting them a quick grin and wave before dashing to his employee. "Gotta stage a rescue. See you guys!"

"T-tell him we said bye!" Yuugi called, getting no reply and turning to mumble to Atem, "You think he'll be all right?"

Atem sniffed before turning his back on the scene and trotting away, Yuugi's steps quickly tapping up behind him until they were side by side again. "They're be fine, aibou. Jounouchi-kun can handle it… assuming he doesn't say anything too bad in some parent's hearing."

"Heh, eh-heh, right… You don't think he'd–?"

"Y-Yuugi-san?"

The pair froze, and slowly turned around… to find Otogi there.

The elder Otogi, standing in the open door of the converted bus, fidgeting nervously with a dish towel.

Atem stared at that twisting motion, mind hot and blank, and when he lifted his head, he was so tense he swore he heard his neck creak… but that tension was nothing to what he saw radiating off of that man, the face behind the mask, eyes darting between Atem and Yuugi until, with only a blink of eye contact, he dropped his head in a bow.

The fire burning in Atem's heart stuttered.

"Thank you… for helping us. I know Ryuuji said he would repay you for us, but when I think what I, personally, should–"

"It's all right, sir," Yuugi cut in, and when Atem side-eyed his partner, he saw that he was holding up two placating hands, a smile plastered on his face… that didn't quite reach his eyes. "We were happy to help, really. I'm glad everything…"

Yuugi went on, but Atem didn't' really register the words, his gaze caught on that masked face as Otogi raised his head and looked to Yuugi, so tense and anxious and shame-faced… and Atem found he just couldn't hold onto his anger. A warm, bitter resentment burned in his gut instead, with nowhere to go… and when Otogi dared a look his way, all Atem could find for him was a flat, empty stare.

Eventually, Yuugi coaxed the man to return to his customers, and Otogi offered them one final, tenuous thank you, and retreated to his work.

Atem watched him go, a thunderous tight frustration catching in his throat until he grit his teeth, turned to go–

And locked eyes with his partner in the turn.

He paused mid-step, ire snapped up in a net of confusion at the faint smile on Yuugi's face.

"Thanks, mou hitori no boku."

"…For what?"

"For not saying whatever you were thinking to Otogi-san."

…Atem snorted, relaxing back on his heels as he crossed his arms. Of course Yuugi noticed. Atem had not tried to hide his feelings, even if he knew he shouldn't proclaim them. He just couldn't toss fire at the man when everyone was getting along, after all… when the man just looked so… and not when their Otogi's hopes for a future with his father still hummed in his ear.

And, besides, "You've forgiven him."

"…Yeah." Yuugi eyed the shut café truck door, rubbing his arm with a glazed expression while Atem looked on, the lines of a frown settling into his face as his partner spoke. "I mean, I get why you're mad. Of course I do. But… he's already apologized for what he did. That doesn't make it easy to let go, of course. I know… Of course I know," Yuugi breathed, and Atem's glower flickered, smoothed out as he took in Yuugi… the still, withdrawn look on his face.

A rather uncommon, but far, far too familiar expression: distress contained, like a storm under glass.

A look that never failed to catch Atem's heart in a vice grip and leave it hanging over an abyss.

…But it was only a ghost.

Just a ghost of a storm.

Yuugi blinked, found his eye again– and he was back to that faint, partly sunny smile. "But he can't forget it, either. He spent the first few minutes alone with me today trying to apologize again. He's done that every time we've met now… It makes it easier, you know? Knowing how seriously he takes it himself."

Atem nodded… gave the door a quick glance before sighing and turning his back on it. He stuffed his hands in his pockets as he walked away, his partner instantly at his side. "In any case, I'm glad we could help Jounouchi-kun and Otogi."

"Yup! It's lucky we ran into them when we did."

"Still," Atem countered, dodging a couple walking the other direction before shooting Yuugi a weak grin. "It's too bad we lost most of our time together."

A lovely mix of embarrassment and regret flashed across Yuugi's face… only for his smile to alight anew. "Well! If you're open to skipping the arcade, I might still have something to make up for…" He trailed off, digging through his pockets as they both stopped walking, Atem staring curiously at him– and then at the folded piece of paper suddenly thrust in his face. "Here!"

"–What's this?"

Yuugi didn't answer. Just grinned as Atem took the paper and unfolded it, prodding with a bright, "The time we lost helping out means this just got a little more challenging, but we should still be able to finish…"

By then Atem had started reading, and the wheels turned in his head between what his partner said and the words there:

Multiple keys, no door.

Marine Day before New Year.

Line after line of random phrases and questions, no context, ending with What is only yours, but everyone else uses? at the bottom.

…

Atem looked up. Stared at his partner, blank-faced. "These are riddles."

Yuugi smiled. "Yup."

"And I have to solve them before we go home. Here."

"Yup."

"…This is a scavenger hunt."

Yuugi didn't answer. Just kept smiling, the excitement bubbling in his eyes as understanding rose in Atem's mind… and he stared at him, breathless. "Aibou."

"Haha, surprised?"

Elated.

He didn't get the word out, but Atem gripped the flimsy notebook paper like it was a treasure map to El Dorado and beamed at Yuugi, the delight ricocheting and catching between them and tangling up in a sweetness that made Atem's fingers buzz, because this was what Yuugi was hiding. His partner had made this for him.

His wonderful, amazing partner.

"How long do we have until the train?"

"Hmm, an hour?"

"Perfect." Atem shifted his grip on the paper to one hand and grabbed Yuugi's wrist, tugging him along as he made for an open path through the crowd. "That's all the time in the world!"

"Haha, you think so?"

"Just you wait, aibou! I'll give this everything I've got, don't you worry."

"I don't doubt it."

Atem smiled at the storefronts and the wash of faces before him and the happy warmth in his partner's voice, squeezing Yuugi's wrist as he wondered what keys could need no door.