"Yuugi… Hey, Yuugi."

"Mwuh?" Yuugi pulled his mouth out of the palm he was leaning into and looked up, peering back at Jounouchi as he squinted at him with frustrated, tired eyes from across the table.

"You awake there? Come on, you don't get to nod off and drag this out longer because you got some sleep."

Yuugi jolted upright, sitting up straight in his chair and pulling his textbook towards him as he shot his best friend a smile. "Sorry, Jounouchi-kun. I wasn't asleep, but– I'll stop zoning out."

Jounouchi snorted like he didn't believe him, then half-buried his face in his own book without another word.

Yuugi couldn't blame him for his doubt.

They were sitting at a free table in the school library, of all places, due to an optimistic pact made over lunch to wipe out all of their readings for Wednesday and Friday together in one go. That way, they'd be free to goof off and hang out with the others however much they liked for the rest of the week! And if they took turns reading out loud, they'd be done in no time!

In theory.

But a quick skim through the book left them both balking, realizing they'd be lucky to finish even the Wednesday readings before the school grounds closed. And, banking on reading faster in their own heads, they'd fallen silently into their respective textbooks, Yuugi pulling out his notecards to follow his mother's fast-track studying advice.

Only for pages to fail to turn.

Going by the grunts and sighs and various other frustrated noises Jounouchi kept making, the blond was struggling to keep his attention pinned to the page, while Yuugi kept staring through his page, the monotonous content no match for where his thoughts preferred to stray.

Atem would still be in the shop.

…

Yuugi sniff-jerked himself out of a daze, rubbing viciously at his face to try and make himself focus, and hide the residual embarrassment staining his cheeks when he thought of– that morning.

Not that he regretted what happened that morning, or would undo it if he had the chance.

Far from it.

But– but thinking back on it, how he all but pounced on Atem? He'd just gone and fallen face first into his own impulses, hadn't he? He was just– Yuugi had never felt a need to curb most of his whims around his other self, especially recently, as they… but still, when he woke up that morning, he hadn't intended to give Atem anymore than a duel… and, maybe a kiss or two, yeah.

Not that Atem seemed to mind getting more than a few.

Yuugi grinned, falling back into the memory. Recalling the look on his other self's face afterwards, and the way he kept looking at him as they started on that jigsaw puzzle.

Atem didn't connect even half as many pieces as he did by the time Mama called them down to breakfast.

Yuugi snickered remembering it, how Atem jolted at the sound of Mama's voice. How he tripped over himself to help Yuugi roll up the puzzle as fast as possible, leaving them kneeling at the bed, side-by-side, eyeing each other for one, sweet moment with a mirroring smile.

Atem had just looked so happy, and wonderful. Almost as wonderful as during their duel, bright and smiling and sparkling, uncorrupted like Yuugi hadn't seen him in a duel in so long, bravado more play than bravado, all shining in the comfortable light of the dim morning sun–

Something smacked him in the cheek.

Yuugi jerked, the chair back slapping him in the shoulders as he slammed into it and stared down at the pencil that had landed on his open book.

After hitting him in the face.

Yuugi looked up, pouting– and blanched when he saw Jounouchi's cheshire smile.

And the blond just smiled the more at Yuugi's reaction, leaning into his elbows to bring his knowing, glinting eyes closer. "Heeeeey, whatcha thinkin' 'bout there, Yuugi?"

…Yuugi burst into a strangled laugh one-point-five seconds too late, scratching the back of his head. "Ah, you know, nothing much."

"Nothing much, huh? Oh, come on! You were practically drooling there! What's so amazing that it got you–"

"Jounouchi-kun."

Jounouchi flinched, glowering up at the school librarian who stood at the end of the table, glaring right back at him. "I have already warned you twice. If I have to come over here again, you and Mutou-kun can finish your school work at home. Other students are actually trying to study."

"Yeah, yeah," Jounouchi huffed, but without any edge or fire that might encourage the librarian to linger and lecture further.

The lady shot a look between both boys, silently screaming behave before turning on a heel and walking away.

Yuugi tossed an apologetic and grateful smile at her back before focusing on his friend, whispering, "Seriously, Jounouchi-kun. I don't think this was the best place for this." Not that they would have been any more productive elsewhere, but still–

"Yeah," Jounouchi sighed, grinning wearily at him as he deflated into his chair… only to sit up straight again, a determined look in his eye. "Hey, Yuugi."

Blink. "Yeah?"

"I'm not getting squat done. Are you?"

"Well, no."

"And if we keep running up this hill, we're just going to waste our time, right?"

"Well–"

"I've already accepted that I'm gonna be wasting my lunch tomorrow crunching for this, so, how about this: Instead of wasting our evening trying to read, you give me a look at that deck you finished." Jounouchi pulled his worn deck holder out of his pocket and slapped it on the table, a challenge in his smile.

Yuugi stared at the hidden cards… then looked back at his neglected textbook.

They seriously shouldn't. Mama would kick him if he got another low score.

…

He grinned, shutting the book with one hand and pulling his cards out with the other. "Best two out of three?"

Jounouchi beamed at him, nodding as he popped open his deck holder. "Good man, Yuugi. Good man."

Yuugi snickered, offering his cards up for the shuffle.

"Did you at least finish a round before you were kicked out?" Atem asked, readjusting his posture in a way that rubbed his cheek into Yuugi's shoulder.

Yuugi smiled at the sensation of it, squeezing Atem's hand as he kept his eyes on his textbook, balanced on his crossed legs. "Not a one. The librarian caught us in seconds."

"What a waste."

Yuugi nodded, but couldn't feel much regret. The early breakup of study time gave him a chance to go shopping and tuck his purchase out of sight before Atem's shift in the shop ended. And even if he had to make up the time, he got to study with Atem right there, the two of them sitting on his futon with their backs to Yuugi's bed, hands tangled between their hips as Atem leaned on his arm.

The contact made Yuugi grin when Atem chuckled, the sound running down his neck and back in a pleasant buzz. "You really should have known better though, aibou." Atem shifted somehow closer, making Yuugi fight back a fidget as he spoke right in his ear. "Your mother was sure to ask how the readings went the second you got home. And you know you can't lie to her."

"I know," Yuugi murmured, turning his head– smiling as he watched Atem's expression empty and catch when their noses brushed, so close that Yuugi felt like he was wearing Atem's glasses . "But it really did seem like a good idea at the time, giving up… I really wasn't getting anything done."

Atem gave the faintest of hums, expression composed but still distinctly thrown beneath his smirk. "And why is that?"

"The same reason I'm not now."

…Atem leaned back a bit, far enough to read Yuugi's face in his confusion.

But Yuugi just smiled, dodging his boyfriend's gaze by looking down at his book, rubbing a thumb over Atem's as he pretended to read… until Atem pressed right back into his side and made Yuugi's heart jump in his throat, fingers curling around his upper arm as lips brushed his ear.

"Are you saying that I distract you, aibou?"

He stared blindly into the television, the blank black of it humming through Atem's words and the smile in his voice. It left Yuugi swallowing, stumbling for words and getting out only, "W-well, it's not like I mind," before his brain burnt to a crisp, because those lips brushed him right beneath his ear.

A second, equally hesitant kiss followed, but it was quickly supplanted by very sound contact as Yuugi shivered and let out a sound that might have been a whimper, his other self so encouraged by his reaction that he chuckled against his skin. "Glad to hear it. It really is only fair…"

"A-ah?" Yuugi tried to ask, too fogged over to care about the answer. He shut his eyes as Atem played slow kisses along his jaw, fingers loosening and sliding down the inside of his arm. A breath shuddered out of him as he tilted his head into the attention, brain floating somewhere three feet above his head as he thought– he'd really like to kiss Atem, but he did not want to interrupt–

Someone knocked.

Yuugi jerked, but it was Atem who threw himself back, landing on his hands to blink up at Yuugi in mirrored alarm as the door opened and–

"Yuugi-kun? Atem-kun? Are you–?" His mother stared down at them, the surprise on her face sliding into narrowed eyes and a flat mouth within two seconds.

Yuugi stared, clenching his hands– realized he was still holding his book, and held the text up for his mother to see, a painful grin plastered on his face. "Hey, Mama! Just getting some last minute studies out of the way!"

"Uh-huh." His mother eyed him, then Atem – oh geez, oh geez, oh geez, how obvious were they – before focusing on… the futon of all things.

The move soothed Yuugi's nerves down into confusion, but his mom just kept scanning the linens, as though she expected something to be off about them.

"Well, that's good, Yuugi-kun, but it's getting late," she said, trailing off with an unsatisfied frown before looking back up at Atem– arching a brow at him.

A glance back told Yuugi it was probably because Atem looked alarmingly stiff.

"Did you have a good birthday, Atem-kun?"

"…Yes… Thank you for the cupcake."

"It was nothing," she dismissed, and Yuugi grinned, relaxing as he recalled dinner that night. His mother had surprised them all by pulling out a box of cupcakes for dessert, putting a single candle in one, and dropping it on Atem's cleared plate before prompting them all to sing. Atem had been so taken aback that he just stared at the lit red candle like a caught deer, only finding his familiar smirks and chuckles on the last line of the song.

He might try to hide it, but Yuugi could see how happy he was.

"But it's getting late. I'm heading to bed, so make sure you both turn in soon."

"We will, Mama," Yuugi promised, sliding out of the memory with a smile. "G'night."

"Good night."

"Sleep well, boys," she said, giving them a brief smile before leaving, shutting the door behind her.

…Yuugi collapsed back against the bed, sighing before shooting Atem a shaken smile, earning a strained one in return.

"I believe she thought we were hiding something," Atem mused, and Yuugi snickered before looking down at the futon.

"Something that we could hide in these sheets, apparently. She probably thinks we were playing a game or something and rushed to hide it when she knocked." Cards and dice could easily be hidden under wrinkled blankets, after all. A board game, too, depending on which one it was.

"Well, she isn't wrong about the playing part," Atem allowed, his thoughtful expression collapsing in a smirk when Yuugi swat his knee.

"Oh, that was playing, was it?"

"Mutually," Atem defended, catching Yuugi's hand before he could pull it away.

And Yuugi couldn't maintain his false annoyance when Atem looked at him like that, all satisfied and adoring… He could only grin, glance down at his textbook… and scoot closer, shoulder-to-shoulder with his other self as he looked into Atem's surprised eyes. "Did you play anything interesting today? In the shop?"

Atem smiled, pulling Yuugi's hand to his knee, where he could hold it and play his fingers across his palm. "Nothing new. I convinced a couple of customers to buy the games on discount, though."

"Mhmm, which ones?"

He listened to Atem talk awhile about his work day, happy to give him a chance to relax, listen to his voice play over familiar topics. Yuugi was only mildly interested in the actual details, but sharing in Atem's day… when Atem detailed cutting in on Sugoroku trying to sell an old withered hand on the claims that it was the monkey paw of legend, Yuugi had to laugh.

As he calmed, he saw Atem's amused expression had ebbed, leaving his face almost blank with fixation as he looked at him, his gaze tickling across Yuugi's skin and nerves.

"…Aibou, kiss me."

Yuugi's eyes went wide, the world held its breath for a moment… then exhaled.

He beamed, sitting up and leaning into Atem, toes curling at the happy, relieved sound his boyfriend made as their lips met, the pleasure of the contact folding under the joy. As it ended, Yuugi faced Atem straight on, rolling without pause into another kiss as he slid into welcoming, eager arms.

His book fell off his lap, unnoticed.

"At least we only have to worry about Friday now?" Yuugi tried, his voice and smile strained even before Jounouchi let out a groan.

"Fat lotta good that does." Jounouchi pried his face up from the booth's tabletop and rubbed it, trying to wipe away the strain of the school day. But he gave up, flopping folded arms down with a thump before grabbing some of the fries Yuugi was sharing with him, slow and morose in the chewing. "Friday's readings are even longer, right? How were we supposed to get any of this done? I didn't get through even half of today's stuff!"

"It… might've gone better if you read over lunch like you planned."

"Don't rub salt in the wound, Yuugi."

Yuugi slurped his soda to hide his laughter, speaking again only when he could stop smiling around the straw. "I'm not poking at you, Jounouchi-kun. It's not like I did any better." He'd brought his own textbook to lunch, but he didn't get anything done the night before, so…

He cleared his throat, dismissing the flustered memory with a grin grin as he pulled a textbook out of his bookbag, ignoring Jounouchi's exhausted blink. "Buck up! We have two days to deal with this one, and I left my cards at home so we'd stay focused, so we can stay here at Burger World and snack until we're done!"

"…Whaddya mean you left your cards at home?!"

Yuugi didn't know what to say to that, thrown off by his friend's aghast outrage, and so his relief was very genuine when he saw their expected third party walk into the fast food joint. "Honda-kun! Over here!"

Honda turned at the sound of his voice, but the look on his face curbed Yuugi's smile, his expression shifting to worry as Honda trailed over to their booth, slid in beside him, and dropped his cheek to the table, an unknown echo of Jounouchi.

"Hey…"

Jounouchi squinted at him, glowering his own concern. "What's with you, man?"

"…mi-ch…"

"S-sorry?" Yuugi tried, jumping at the watery, "Umi-chan!" Honda snapped out. He looked at Jounouchi, who mirrored his confusion right back at him. But slowly, grim understanding dawned on both of them.

Oh.

"Isn't that the latest one he has a thing for?" Jounouchi asked, earning a muffled little whine from Honda.

Yuugi grimaced at the sound of it, hesitantly patting his friend's shoulder. "Hey, it's okay," he said, a strained smile plastered on his. Getting no immediate response, he glanced down at his food, considering… then pushed the plate of fries towards Honda's face. "Come on, what happened?"

Honda slowly sat up, reaching for some fries and eating them without ever directly looking up, dreary eyes on the plate. "I asked her out Friday for sushi."

Jounouchi and Yuugi stared at each other, Yuugi eventually later turning back to check, "That new place near school?"

"Damn man, that place is like a month's worth of lunch! Why would you offer that?"

Honda didn't answer. Just stopped chewing and glared at his scoffing friend.

Yuugi looked between them, then tentatively tried, "I… take it she said no?"

Honda turned to him, his expression completely and utterly flat. "She doesn't like fish."

…

Yuugi and Jounouchi kept staring, but Honda went right on eating until Jounouchi prodded, "Okay, then why don't you go somewhere else?"

Honda's head whipped up, outrage and agony flashing across his face. "You think I could say anything after she that?! She said it just like that: 'Oh. Sorry. I don't like fish.' Then turned right back to her friend! Gave me no time to answer!" He threw up his hands, then turned away from them, towards the aisle, his shoulders shaking. "It was such a blow off, man. I couldn't counter that…"

Jounouchi didn't respond– blessedly, given the look he shot Yuugi said he had nothing patient to say.

Yuugi bit his lip as he looked at his distraught friend, patting his arm with another, "Come on, Honda-kun. I'm sure it wasn't that bad."

Honda hiccuped through a sob.

Jounouchi made some scoffing noise, and Yuugi grimaced, pushing on Honda's back. "Come on, get up. I'm buying you a shake."

"You don't have to do that, Yuugi."

"Then I'll watch you get yourself one. Come on." He pushed until Honda reluctantly stood, ushering him over to the counter with encouraging smiles and a few arm tugs.

His textbook remained on the table, untouched.

"The way you tell it, it sounds like this 'Umi-chan' didn't know Honda-kun was asking for a date."

Yuugi sputtered a laugh, smiling as he turned a page in the book on his lap. "I don't think there's any way she didn't know, mou hitori no boku. There aren't a lot of reasons a stranger asks you out to dinner," he countered, looking up from his position at the head of the bed to eye Atem, sitting at the desk beside him. "It was probably just her way of saying 'no'."

"Mhmm…" Atem tapped his fingers on his arm, eyes pinned on the desktop. "It's still possible she really doesn't like fish."

Yuugi shook his head, wondering if deep focus or sincere ignorance were to blame for Atem's denials. Either way, he followed Atem's gaze, wondering what could be distracting him so– Oh.

He wasn't playing Spider Solitaire anymore.

"What are you doing?"

It was easy enough to see, but Atem still shot him a perfectly pure grin. "Updating my deck."

He was. The cards had been broken up into little groups of monsters, and at a glance, Yuugi thought Atem must be deciding which spells and traps he should keep to make the best combos with them.

He leaned a little closer to see what his options were– and came up short, fingers catching his chin and turning his head towards Atem.

His boyfriend was smirking at him, and tapped his nose with a free finger. "No peeking. It's my turn to leave you guessing." Understandable. And Yuugi would have easily accepted it at that, but Atem leaned over the gap between chair and bed to give him a short, finger-sparking kiss, closing it with a soft smile. "You'll see soon enough."

"…Okay," Yuugi whispered, what had to be the biggest, dopiest grin in the world on his face as Atem let go and went back to his cards… leaving Yuugi to focus back on his book.

At least outwardly. Inwardly, he considered tweaks he could make to his own deck. Ways he could catch Atem off-guard with surprises of his own– All plans he considered blindly, of course. He wouldn't cheat and look. He kept his eyes pinned soundly on his book.

Even if he didn't actually see it.

"Why are we even bothering?!"

The cry was followed by a loud thump.

Atem looked up from his position at the head of the bed to arch a brow at Jounouchi, who had just launched his textbook at Yuugi's wall.

No one directly answered the outcry. Yuugi sighed, Otogi shot Jounouchi an impatient look, and Honda just grumped, "Come on, man, you think that's helping anything?"

"I'm just saying! We're not Bakura or Anzu! None of us are planning to go to college or enter some prestigious, international school, right?! Why are we wasting all of our time studying when we know we won't do well anyways, and we have way more important stuff to focus on?!" At his last point, Jounouchi turned to Atem, waving an arm in his direction, his expression suddenly somber amid his frustration.

The other three boys followed the gesture and stared, too, exhaustion and impatience sliding off their faces.

Atem ignored the looks, ignored the meaning behind them, sliding his gaze over the lot of them before focusing on Jounouchi with a smirk. "Because if you keep failing tests, you'll be held back a grade. You'll have to repeat it, or you won't graduate. And not having a high school degree will reduce your chances at a proper job– one that doesn't call for a mascot uniform."

To his credit, Otogi didn't laugh. Just smirked behind Jounouchi's back as he grimaced.

"Right," Jounouchi sighed, deflating like Atem just popped his tire. "Why do you have to go and be right all of the time?"

"Because I'm never wrong?"

"Har har."

"Still, we are all far closer to failure than we'd like, right?" They all looked at Otogi at the question, the amusement only Atem had seen gone and replaced by a grim weight that had him hunched, frowning over the book in his lap. "If they would just test us on business theory or game theory–"

"Yeah well, that's what you get for missing so much school."

"I did that for work, Honda."

"Guys, it's not that bad, is it?" Yuugi cut in, his coaxing tones inspiring such calm that Atem smiled and returned his attention to his Gameboy. "It's still just the first semester! And these reading deadlines can't hurt us much on their own– they're just small potatoes next to the midterm and finals."

"Don't talk about tests, Yuugi!"

"Stop whining, Jounouchi!"

A long pause followed Honda's snap, and Atem glanced up at the silence, fingers stalling on buttons when he saw Jounouchi's flat stare aimed at him.

"You look like you're having fun up there."

Atem beamed. "I am! I'm playing Pokemon. I'm prepping for the Elite Four."

…

"Wait, what?!"

"I thought you were still on the final gym!" Yuugi yelled, following Jounouchi's scramble to rush the bed, their combined weight making Atem bounce on the mattress. "When did you beat Giovanni?!"

Atem hesitated to answer, tense with the crowding proximity of not just his partner but Jounouchi, hovering over their heads as he craned for a look at the Gameboy. Atem tilted it towards him, finding his tongue, and, "While you were at school. Do you mind?"

"No, that's– what's your team now?! Did you evolve your Eevee?!"

Atem shook his head, slowly relaxing enough to smile at Yuugi's downturned brow. "I thought I'd go with Flareon, but I held back on leveling and evolving it. That's what I'm focusing on now."

"You know," a new voice chimed in, and Atem looked up to see Otogi standing there, just over Jounouchi's shoulder. "I'd really advise going for Jolteon."

"Uh, guys?"

"It's a good choice," Atem acknowledged, barely registering the fourth outside voice amid the conversation. "But aibou uses Jolteon on his team. And besides, I have a Raichu."

"Guys?"

"You at least have a couple dragons on your team, don't you, man?"

"Dragon types are a bit of a double-edged sword in the championship fight, Jounouchi-kun. The champion uses them, and they're super effective against their own moves," Yuugi explained, grinning at his best friend as Jounouchi pried his nose away from Atem's game. "And besides, one's not bad, but anymore than that will kill the balance for all of the battles."

"Wait." Otogi stared at Yuugi, gaze absolutely baffled. "You don't switch out teams between Elite battles?"

Atem snorted, shooting Otogi a defying smile. "What kind of challenge would that be?"

Whatever Otogi said in reply, Honda missed it, sighing as he gave up on ever bringing his friends' attention back to studying– at least until Atem finished that game of his. Until then, Honda was better off studying alone.

…

Honda started doodling, drawing a little love umbrella in the margin of his notes.

"Whoo! Cheers, guys!"

"Congratulations," Atem echoed, holding up his drink with a smile as Jounouchi held up his own cup, sloshing tea across Bakura's dining table from the cup he held out. "I know you've all been working hard this week."

Yuugi chuckled at the claim, smiling back at him with a fond look that was just a wee bit guilty. "Heh, I don't think we did too bad."

"No," Bakura agreed, sipping his own tea with a smile. "Now all we have to worry about are the midterms, and then it'll be smooth sailing to summer break."

"Y-yeah." The hesitant stumble in Yuugi's agreement drew Atem's curious glance, but there was no time to process his partner's odd reaction before they both jumped at the loud thump of Jounouchi dropping his arm to the table.

"Guys, we are not talking results or tests or other junk right now– and if anyone mentions summer homework, I'll bite 'im. The point is, we survived the week!" Jounouchi threw both arms in the air – thankfully after letting go of his tea – then reached for his chopsticks, tossing Bakura a huge grin. "And we get this awesome sushi dinner to boot! This all tastes great!"

"Hahaha, thank you, Jounouchi-kun. That's kind of you."

"He's telling the truth," Yuugi insisted, smiling happily as he took a pointed bite of his nigiri. "Mmhmn, I can't believe you managed to make all of this!"

"It was nothing," Bakura tried to counter, but the grand spread before them spoke for itself. Not only was there enough food to feed ten, but there as a shocking range of options, too. And while Jounouchi and Yuugi chowed down on nigiri and maki, Atem– "How're your dumplings and tempura, Atem-kun?"

Atem paused mid-bite, and reassessed the situation: the overabundance of dishes, the fact that all of the ones with fish were on the far side of the table, the satisfied look on his partner's face…

Atem eyed Yuugi's smile, warmth and touched amusement curling his own lips around a mouthful of green bean tempura before he swallowed, facing Bakura. "They're delicious. Did you include them for my sake?"

That is, did his partner warn him about his food tastes?

Bakura simply laughed, Yuugi grinning at his sushi while Jounouchi shot them all confused looks. "I just wanted to be sure before I made more. I was planning to bring more to your party tomorrow, along with whatever leftovers we have tonight."

The mention of the next day's gathering rippled through Atem's amusement, but he caught himself before his smile fully fell, pinning it in place as he nodded. "That'll be nice."

A sniff came from his right, and Atem shot his partner a staying look, earning nothing but an amused stare in return. Yuugi knew full well that Atem was equal parts touched and baffled by the thought of the party, and he'd teased him more than once on the topic already– and the grin he turned on their friends was more than a little tickled. "Mou hitori no boku is having a pretty big week this week. An official, legal 'adult' Monday, shots today, and a birthday party tomorrow. "

"It's not a big deal, aibou." Atem scratched at the bandage stuck to his upper arm, but forced himself to leave it be, relaxing back in his chair with crossed arms as he focused on Bakura. "And it would be good to bring the food tomorrow. The others can sample your cooking at the party." Seeing as they had to miss out that night: Anzu had dance class earlier in the evening, Otogi was covering a cafe shift so he could be free tomorrow, and Honda–

"It's too bad Honda-kun decided to stay home," Bakura sighed, only to pause and stare with Atem and Yuugi as Jounouchi let out a sharp snort.

"Snapping at us the last few days, going off on his own to lick his wounds? He better not be moping like that at the party tomorrow."

"He's sad, Jounouchi-kun," Yuugi tried to defend, but swallowed his tongue and jerked back when Jounouchi shoved the sharp ends of his chopsticks in his face, the sight making Atem clench his in a fist as his eyes narrowed, not quite ready to intervene but–

"If it's bothering him that much, he should do something about it!" Jounouchi snapped, tapping Yuugi's nose with a surprising show of control before waving his chopsticks about in an irritated manner, allowing Yuugi – and Atem – to relax. "Move on or suck it up or try again if he thinks he just approached her the wrong way!"

"That… would probably just come off as pushy."

Jounouchi glowered, no interest in his face for Yuugi's point. "Then why not ask Umi point blank if she would ever go out with him? If it's no, then it's a no! And then he can just move on!"

An awkward silence followed as Jounouchi tossed down his chopsticks, Bakura stared at the glowering blond, and Atem focused his confusion on his partner. Why was Jounouchi so prickly about their missing friend's handling of the matter? Did he and Honda have a fight or something?

He couldn't ask Yuugi with words, but Yuugi grimaced and carefully shook his head at the look Atem shot him. Whether there was a fight and he shouldn't ask, or Yuugi couldn't explain properly in front of their friend, Atem couldn't be sure. But he took a chance, focusing on Jounouchi with a careful, not-at-all certain, "We should just… leave that to Honda-kun to figure out."

"Yeah," Yuugi breathed, the relief in his voice allowing Atem to relax a little, reassured that he had said the right thing. "It's his right to handle it however he needs to. And if he's hurt, then he's hurt, and we should just be there for him… And it's not like we know what we're talking about, right? After all, we've never asked someone to–"

…Yuugi didn't finish.

Because Atem was looking at him, and he'd noticed, and as soon as they locked eyes, Atem arched a brow at him.

Oh? Truly?

Yuugi had never managed to ask someone to date him before?

Yuugi burnt red.

His expression twitched, the words all but screaming off of his face, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN. THAT'S NOT THE SAME. BE COOL–

Atem smirked.

But he quickly remembered himself and where they were and looked back at their company, freezing when he discovered Bakura looking back at them, eyes curious, and confused… but all attention slid back to Jounouchi when he sighed.

"Yeah, he really went to the wrong guys for advice when he came to you and me, didn't he, Yuugi?" Jounouchi huffed, seemingly oblivious to anything that had been 'said' at the table… but then he burst upright in his chair, his tired glower bursting into a bright smirk as he pointed at Atem and Bakura, sitting on either side of him. "He should have gone to one of these two!"

Atem frowned, baffled– and tensed as Jounouchi focused on him, meaning clicking horridly into place.

"Hey, you haven't had anyone else offering you phone numbers in the shop, have you? You'd tell us if you had, right?"

Atem flicked his gaze across the table, looking for an out, but finding only a mute, floundering partner, and an eerily blank-faced Bakura. "No, I haven't."

"Psst, pity." Jounouchi released him from his attention, and Atem melted a bit into his seat, watching as the blond turned his grin on Bakura, instead. "Of course, Atem can draw them in, but you're the one they stick around for, huh? Heh heh, not that I can't see why, but if you have some advice that could help Honda out, you really should pass it on to him!"

Bakura didn't answer, or even respond to the compliment to his looks. He just kept staring at his plate until Jounouchi shook his head and dismissed him, chuckling to himself as he returned to his own food.

Yuugi's shoulders sank with lost tension, and he shot Atem a weak smile, one Atem returned easily before focusing on his food, falling gratefully into the silence. It shouldn't linger, that would just get awkward, but it was a chance at a blank slate, and Atem searched his thoughts as he ate another dumpling, looking for some topic they'd all be–

"I'm gay."

…

Atem looked up, face and brain empty.

Bakura was still looking at his plate.

Jounouchi and Yuugi stared at him, too, but Atem didn't focus on either of them long enough to read their expressions.

Bakura looked at them, though, his gaze ticking up and darting between them and landing on him for a quick second of mirroring, stark self-awareness– then he laughed, dropping his chopsticks with a smile so stiff it made Atem's teeth hurt. "Haha, sorry! I don't know why I said that!"

"Bakura-kun…"

"I mean, it's true." Bakura turned his grin back on the table, like he hadn't heard Yuugi's clogged call. "But I've never talked about it before, not to any of the girls, or my father, or– but I guess I just wanted to say, sorry. I don't think I could be much help with Honda-kun, or his lady friend."

"That's–" Jounouchi tried to start, but nothing followed, and when Atem flicked a look his way, he saw the blonde staring, grimacing around impossible words.

Bakura didn't give him time to find them, laughing again as he turned to stare at the kitchen, turning his attention as far from their faces as he could manage without getting up, fingers scratching at the tablecloth. "I mean, haha! I don't even prompt the girls to linger, but it'd be rude to tell them to leave me alone without a reason, and it feels so mean to say I don't like them without even explaining myself, but I don't want to lie and I never felt comfortable sharing, so… they linger."

…

Atem wasn't sure what they were waiting for. But he was just as stuck as the rest of them, backend stapled to the chair and mouth shut, watching as, slowly, the veneer of Bakura's bright cheer washed away, leaving him restless, and uncomfortable, still dodging their eyes as he slowly looked back at his plate, face and body tense. "I really didn't mean to bring it up, though. Sorry. It really doesn't matter any–"

Yuugi's chair creaked.

It slid back from the table, and then Yuugi was plastered to Bakura's side, the pale-haired teen staring blindly at Atem as Yuugi hugged him around the shoulders.

"It's okay, Bakura-kun. You don't have to apologize."

–Jounouchi tripped out of his chair, and Atem rose from his own at a slower, steadier rate. Circled around to where Jounouchi had already wrapped his arms around Bakura, Yuugi, chair and all.

"Y-Yeah. I mean, I can't believe you'd think to tell us first, man, even on accident, but… Yeah. Thanks."

Bakura didn't answer, shock smeared across his face, leaving it still as stone… until it cracked, the boy blinking up when Atem put a hand on his shoulder, in the bare space Jounouchi and Yuugi left him.

Atem smiled as they locked eyes, squeezing his hand. "That was very brave of you, Bakura."

Bakura stared back at him, looked at the other two… then looked down, the tears that had already gathered in his eyes falling as he gripped the table edge. "T-thank you… sorry."

"Hey, what'd Yuugi just say about apologizing?!" Jounouchi let go with one arm to snap up Bakura's napkin, holding it under his nose. "Come on, you'll ruin your maki if you cry on it! It tastes too good to waste like that."

Bakura… Bakura laughed, the sound watery, but light. And good.

He accepted the napkin and blew his nose as the three of them looked on, smiling.

"I hope he'll be okay."

"Jounouchi-kun is there with him."

Yuugi grinned at the reminder, dropping his book bag by his desk before turning around to watch his boyfriend shut their bedroom door.

They'd just gotten home, dinner at Bakura's called off after the host's unexpected confession. They'd stayed gathered around him until he assured them he was fine, and could say so with a calm smile, then they'd helped pack up the meal and Yuugi and Atem took as many of the leftovers as they could carry on home, to store away until the party– while Jounouchi hung back.

"He said he'd stay the night and head to school from there, so Bakura won't alone," Atem continued, once they were soundly behind closed doors. "Not that I think Bakura needed any watching. He seemed sincerely happy by the time we left."

"That doesn't mean his nerves aren't shaken after admitting something like that, especially since he didn't mean to." Yuugi eyed the shut door, but ultimately tossed his paranoia aside, sitting down on the edge of his bed as he added, "Saying he's gay out of the blue like that… he must have been terrified of what we'd think. I didn't have any idea."

Atem followed him to the bed, sitting down right beside him, close enough that their legs brushed. "Neither did I." He shook his head, relaxing back with his palms on the mattress, considering something in front of him. Yuugi followed his gaze, and saw them, faintly echoed in the dark screen of his shut-off television. "Not that I ever really thought about it. With Honda-kun and most others it's pretty obvious based on who they like– or, at least partly obvious," Atem corrected, shooting Yuugi a faint, knowing little smile. Yuugi twitched under that look, knowing full well he was referring to him when he said, "There might always be more to the story, after all. Other circumstances."

Circumstances like Atem not being a girl, he meant.

Not that he was the only… Yuugi had been perfectly aware for years that he appreciated boys. Sometimes. But it had always been easy to ignore those feelings in favor of his far more wide-eyed interest in girls, and dismiss anything else as simply envy, and admiration, until… well. Atem.

And Yuugi's self-dismissal had been so strong that even Atem must have been unsure how far that interest went, until he responded to him on that balcony, at least.

Still.

He didn't have to grin at him like that.

"Yeah, yeah," was all Yuugi had to say, prompting a chuckle that he chose to ignore in favor of looking back at the television, his gaze catching on them again, sitting beside each other.

Right beside each other.

So close that their legs brushed.

Yuugi stared at it, the faint picture they made, that anyone would have seen if they had just been there, and found himself asking, "Do you think… they'd really be cool… you know, about us?"

When he looked over, Atem was staring at him. Surprise, confusion, memory all openly flashing across his face.

And Yuugi understood. Because, they'd already put the topic to bed back on their first date.

They wouldn't tell, they decided. There would be too much worry to risk, nevermind acceptance.

It wasn't a good idea.

…But, still… Yuugi had to wonder…

"…I think they would," Atem said, rolling slowly into a smile, and Yuugi's ears hummed with the loose echo of Atem's answer from that day. "And even if they weren't, they are our friends. I would trust them to stand by us, no matter what they think… Honda-kun has, after all. In his way."

Yuugi smiled at the reminder, nodding. Honda had never brought up the topic with him, but neither had he treated him any differently.

He was just the same old Honda.

The same friend as before, as they all would be. Definitely.

Even as that part of Yuugi that always fretted went right on fretting, he knew Atem was right.

He slid his hand back to Atem's, squeezing it. "Yeah. We still shouldn't tell, but… yeah."

Atem beamed for the easy agreement… then sat up, pressing somehow closer to his side with a sparking smirk that left Yuugi bug-eyed and red-faced and wary in an instant. "Just out of curiosity, how would you tell everyone, if we did?"

Yuugi mouthed for words that wouldn't come, too distracted by the toying teen at the end of his nose to get out anymore than a, "I don't know," swallowing hard and blinking past the stars gleaming in Atem's eyes to manage, "I– get them all together at once, so no one's left out, and just say it?"

Atem hummed, the sound thoughtful, lingering, sending heat through Yuugi's face and down through his fingers even as a part of his brain froze because was Atem really teasing him about this?! "Mama and Jii-chan, too?"

"I– um, uh… I guess?"

Atem grinned, leaning in just a bit more. Just enough to make Yuugi jump when their noses bumped together. "Maybe get Otou-san on the phone while we're at it?"

"I don't–" Yuugi shook his head, dizzy with even trying to keep up! With the sensation of their skin brushing. "I guess?!"

Atem leaned back again and Yuugi felt like he could breathe, but Atem only did it to give himself room to chuckle, the smile still plastered on his face as he went right on. "And if you and your friends want to talk about us at school, you'll need to be pretty open about–"

Yuugi snapped into a glower, ready to tell Atem he was just being silly now, enough with the teasing! …But, as he focused properly, and took him in?

Yuugi's stomach flipped.

Atem was flying.

His smile was true and wide and there was something all dreamy about it, and Yuugi could hear in his voice, too, once that he thought to listen for it. And Atem wasn't serious. He wasn't actually suggesting doing anything… but… he would love to tell, wouldn't he? Tell people about them? To be open about them?

Yuugi's heart ached considering it, and something in him burned to think, even if Atem knew they shouldn't spread this, that it could well cost them the precious time they had left, or at the very least, the untroubled smiles of their friends… even so, he still…

…

Bakura really had been brave, hadn't he? And so happy in the end, to have spoken and been embraced for what he said. And Bakura– it had all just been impulse, of course. A need to speak rising up until he couldn't stay quiet anymore, even though he never would have dared had he stopped to think, never would have cried those happy tears, or smiled for them. If he had stopped to think, he would have kept his mouth shut. But he had spoken. It had all been unintended, but Bakura had still been so brave, and so happy, and if Yuugi could learn anything by his example–

"I love you."

…Atem's mouth shut.

His eyes went wide. Hot. Searched his, but Yuugi just stared back. Let his words hang between them. Quiet, and clear, quick and heart tight and still– Let them hang there, calmly waiting until Atem's surprise passed… faded into a joy that rippled through him in a tide, bright, and warm, and burning, and grateful.

Because they knew.

It was no confession. Nothing like the exposure Bakura endured that night, because they both knew already. Had known since Yuugi first closed them in that bedroom and told Atem it was worth the pain to be true to their feelings.

They both knew, but Yuugi still said it. Still took what had always been too precious and delicate to touch with anything but the most tentative of hands, and pulled it out by the root for all to see.

For both of them to see.

And Yuugi grinned to see it, the joy in Atem's eyes. Sucked in a breath and held it to fight his own shaking as Atem clutched his hand and murmured, "I love you, too." Just like that. As easy as breathing.

And there was such sweet relief, and trepidation, faint and shaky and fragile, too. Like walking over thin ice. Yuugi felt it, and understood– understood why they had left those words buried in the ground. Why it shook beneath their feet with their daring.

It didn't matter.

He dismissed it. Fell headlong into the joy, instead, squeezing Atem's hand to the point of hurting as they just smiled at each other, Yuugi not daring to speak, sure that if he tried, his voice would crack and the dam would break and he'd just start bawling or something, even though he didn't feel a bit like crying. He felt like dancing.

Like dancing, and not moving at all.

And Atem seemed to understand. His eyes sung, but he didn't say a word, scooting closer and closer into Yuugi's side, until Yuugi sabotaged them by relaxing his back, allowing Atem's efforts to press closer overwhelm his balance and send them both flopping backwards, legs dangling over the side of the bed as Yuugi's head and shoulder hit the mattress– and Atem's chin his arm.

Atem wasn't the least bit deterred, scooting up until they were nose-to-nose, lying on their sides, smiling at each other, searching one another's eyes for nothing but a continued proof of tranquility, fingers finding one another and tangling together to rest on the sheets between them.

It was the softest thing Yuugi had ever known, and he could have floated in it forever. Fallen asleep to it, or just whiled away the entire night, just like that, saying nothing. Just looking at Atem, as he looked at him…

But eventually, a minute, or an hour later, Jii-chan called up the stairs.

The bath was free.

Yuugi huffed his irritation out through his nose, making Atem grin – perhaps it tickled – and mumbled, "I'll go first."

"Okay."

And he lingered, if only a second longer, smiling into Atem's smile… and leaned in.

Yuugi allowed himself only a heartbeat of contact. Just enough to get a taste of Atem's lips and put a firm, sound gesture to his feelings, then he slid back.

Atem didn't stop him. Didn't fight his retreat as their hands disconnected. He just stayed there, eyes shut, smiling… like he was savoring the kiss Yuugi left behind with him.

Yuugi left him to it, standing and walking away, the same smile on his face.