Prompt 19 and 20: Frustration and Slow
Rating: G

Summary: Seto and Atem are trying to plan their wedding but Atem keeps noticing that his fiance cant decide on anything. Is there something wrong?

NOTES: AU world of mine. You know the drill.

Oof, this became a strange story to write but like usual, I just let it happen. I combined two prompts for this one as I missed yesterday but hopefully I'll be back on track after this. Enjoy!

Atem was about ready to scream.

He stood there, arms crossed, foot tapping against the tiled floor as he watched his boyfriend. Seto's attention was focused on the object on the counter, blue eyes narrowed in concentration as they scrutinized the little circular piece of metal. This was the tenth one he had brought over so he could examine it, slowly picking it up, turning it around, peering deep into the gemstones for any signs of imperfections or flaws. He then would grab Atem's hand, place it on his finger and then, once again, slowly perform his examination.

So far, each ring found the same fate.

Seto shook his head and tossed it back onto the velvet display with a snort. "It's not the right type of gold," was his reasoning this time. Last time, the band was too thin. Before that, the gemstone was not the right color. And the one before that the design was just absolutely subpar; how would anyone ever consider that for a ring?

Yet, it took the CEO at least twenty minutes to come up with that excuse. Atem rolled his eyes and smacked his forehead. "Seto… my dear… we have been at this for four hours and this is the fourth day of this, and our ninth jewelry store! At this rate, you are never going to find the ring you're looking for."

Seto huffed and waved his hand at the employee to take the wedding rings away, looking at them as if they were some sort of spoiled fruit. "Hey, if I'm going to marry you, I need to make sure the rings we wear are absolutely perfect; and match the engagement rings."

Atem sighed and looked down at the ring resting on his left hand. It was a beautiful ring; a simple band of white gold with inset rubies and sapphires and their initials engraved inside. Seto had one in silver. As he twirled the ring on his finger, Atem had to ask. "Seto… how long did it take you to find these rings?"

Seto shrugged and decided he'd had enough of this location and steered his fiancé outside. "I don't know… a year and a half maybe?"

"A year and a half?!" Atem gawked. A year and… dear Ra, if it takes Seto this long to pick out a ring, they won't get married until they're over thirty! Sure, his lover could be quite meticulous but sometimes, it was really frustrating. Seto's need to slowly dissect, evaluate and disassemble things to make sure they were perfect was both a blessing and a curse. For things like electronics, Atem let Seto do his thing because it was what he liked, it was what he was good at; Atem didn't understand it but knew the brunette would choose correctly.

However, planning their wedding had become quite a challenge and concern. Everything was examined under a microscope and if it wasn't to the man's liking, it was immediately trashed. Atem still remembered the debacle with the florist two weeks ago. That woman had the patience of a saint and Atem made sure to send her a massive care package the next day. Now, the rings were becoming a new challenge all on its own.

As they got back in their car, Atem buckled his seat belt and waited until Seto began driving before speaking up again. "Baby… not that I don't appreciate your slow, meticulous nature of finding the perfect rings… I think you are taking this all a little too far..."

Seto turned a corner and then glared at his fiancé. "So what, you think we should just have some silly old gold bands or a horrible flower arrangement and then moan when our wedding is ruined?"

"Our wedding will be ruined if you need to micromanage everything and stress everyone out," Atem snapped back, returning the glare. "And it's micromanaging to the point nothing is getting done! Nothing has been up to your satisfaction. The venue, flowers, rings… even the wedding date! We don't have one! All this planning and yet you won't set a date and it's been four months of planning. Do you want to get married?"

"I'm doing this all for you!" Seto shouted, veering through traffic. "What does that tell you?!"

Atem hissed through his teeth and slammed his foot against the car floor. "Seto, pull this car over right now!" He demanded loudly. Seto snapped his mouth shut but did as his fiancé said, pulling into a parking lot and turning off the engine.

They both glared at each other, Seto with his arms crossed and Atem gripping the door handle tightly until his knuckles turned white. As the tension slowly began to build in the small confines of the car, Atem finally calmed down enough to speak again. "Seto, there are times when I don't mind you deflecting questions. I understand it can be hard for you but I will not let this question go unanswered. Do you really want to marry me? Or are you only doing this because you think I want this?"

"Well, don't you?" Seto asked and Atem groaned in frustration.

"For the love of GOD, Seto, stop this!" Atem shouted. "Stop with this deflecting and trying to turn the question around on me! We've been dating for nearly six years and I'm tired of this! I'm tired of you running away from things you are afraid of answering. I love you. I do, but I will not marry you if you are only doing it out of some strange notion that you have to! So answer me, right now! Do you really want to marry me?"

As Atem talked, Seto's demeanor changed. His arms loosened, his jaw was clenched, and by the end of the speech, the brunette was looking forward, staring out the windshield. His hands rested in his lap, and Atem stared at his fiancé's profile, the seconds moving agonizingly slow. Five minutes in and it looked like he wouldn't get an answer. The Egyptian slumped against the car seat, looking away with a small sigh.

"Just take me home, Seto," he mumbled, closing his eyes. "I'm tired."

"... I do want to marry you," Seto's voice pulled Atem's attention back to the brunette. He hadn't moved from his statuesque pose. "I never thought I would want to marry anyone… then… I met you and… it has to be perfect," his eyes hardened. "Everything has to be perfect for you. If it's not then… who's to say you won't regret it and then leave?"

Atem blinked at Seto's confession, utterly stunned. Seto was worried that if their wedding wasn't perfect he would leave? That's why he was stalling? Reaching across the console, Atem cupped his lover's cheek and forced him to look over at him, thumb brushing against his skin. "Baby… if you haven't noticed, neither of us are perfect," he whispered. "I'm not with you because you are a perfect human being… far from it in fact," he chuckled when Seto gave him a look. "What I'm trying to say is I'm not going to leave you. And honestly, I wouldn't care if we went and eloped somewhere, or got married in a cardboard box. I love you, faults and all, perfection be damned."

Seto swallowed and reached his hand up to cover the one on his cheek, squeezing tightly. "... perhaps being extra picky about the right blue for the flowers was a little excessive," he muttered and Atem chuckled, pulling Seto close to kiss him.

"Juuust a little bit," he replied and tilted his head.

"But I still want to make sure the wedding rings are perfect," Seto said with a firm nod.

"How about this," Atem said as he allowed Seto to start the car again and drive home. "Let's do custom rings. We can pick out exactly what we want and have them made. No more stores or over pompous sellers. But even before that… let's pick a date for the actual wedding."

Seto nodded and reached over to take Atem's hand in his own. "I think I can agree to that."

Atem smiled. "Good."

"I want a fall wedding."

"I think that would be nice."

"I'd like a smaller hall," Seto continued, a small smile on his face. "Perhaps up in the mountains."

"That sounds really nice, actually."

"And no carnations in the flower arrangements," Seto said, turning onto the freeway. "What would you say to tarts?"

Atem chuckled and lifted Seto's hand to his lips to kiss his knuckles. "If we do tarts, I want rhubarb instead of cherry."

"A vanilla cake then, instead of chocolate."

"Half and half."

"You are a heathen," Seto huffed and Atem laughed loudly.

Now they got the planning on a roll!