FLUFF WARNING!
The rest of their time was spent with shared smiles and tastings of the local cuisine, earning refreshing and pure reactions from them both as the sun slowly began to set. He cast one last glance back at the still bustling street square as their spoils of the day were loaded into the trunk. She hated to cut their trip short but it was getting late and there was one more thing that needed to be addressed. He managed to catch the keys she tossed him as she settled within the passenger seat, carefully listening to every instruction she gave, and they were soon speeding off across the asphalt towards the mansion. No sooner had he placed it in park that she grasped his hand and placed a finger against her lips after instructing a nearby person to take the things inside that she pulled him in the direction of a nearby cove area, a small rowboat the perfect size for two people waiting for them.
He cast a hesitant glance towards the retreating figure of Jono as he disappeared into the water. The little crab had been whispering in his ear practically all day and frankly he enjoyed the silence and lack of extra weight in his pocket. The relief however was replaced with slight panic when he spotted Yugi peeking out from a cluster of reeds. He shook his head slightly when the young merman made to approach the boat but it was lost as a it rocked suddenly. They watched in shock as she plucked a disgruntled Jono from the water, her fingers carefully removing the netting that had caught itself around his form. She sighed while releasing him, her hardened gaze nearly burning the net she disgustedly tossed to the side of the boat. "Trash does not belong in the ocean, its far too beautiful and essential for humans to treat it this way. It upsets me so much to know that its happening so close to home…"
His hand gently collected her own when moisture began to gather in the corners of her eyes, making them swim as their gazes met. She made to pull away after a few seconds but found that she couldn't bring herself to do so. His hands were so warm and the calmness emitting from his eyes were nearly hypnotizing her. She did however voice something that had been bothering her for a while. "I think its time that you fulfilled your promise and tell me your name."
The panic returned. He had already decided which name he was going to give whenever she asked but that wasn't this issue at hand. How was he supposed to answer?
A movement beneath the water's surface caused his attention to shift and fought to keep his outer appearance stoic as Yugi appeared from the water. Seeing his younger brother nearly giving him a heart attack with how close he was to the boat, but he was happy to see the young merman. He looked worse for wear with those heavy shadows under his lavender eyes and the smile raising his lips were strained, yet there was a telltale bitter joy within his eyes as he looked between the two. The bronze tailed merman had been in time to spot his older brother's lips form his name as if she could mimic his lip's movement to discover it for herself but it was obvious she needed a little help. Amethyst pointedly stare when he drastically lowered his voice when speaking his name. He made the mental note to ask about the overly dramatic voice acting later as she looked down at where the voice had come from, then back up at him.
That voice, whatever it was, was unlike any she'd heard and she wanted to laugh if the situation wasn't so serious. She was genuinely curious about learning the name of the man before her but the name she'd just heard couldn't be right…could it? Her pink tongue darted out to moisten her lips as they moved in attempts to mimic the way his own had while her ears echoed with what she had heard. He had fallen still when her brows furrowed in concentration, not wanting to break her train of thought, and just when he assumed she had given up she straightened her shoulders and met his gaze. "I think I got it."
His chest seared with momentary fear as the contract's words echoed loudly within his ears but it eased with each second that passed when no repercussions came. Perhaps they were safe.
Cerulean drifted out across the water as her features softened. "A…" They drifted closed as a clouded memory slowly surfaced within her mind, filling it with the soft sounds of waves with the golden sun high in the sky. Her breath caught as it shifted as a voice soft as honey called out a name she couldn't quite hear… "…tem…" Amethyst and lavender widened as she gasped as if waking from a dream, and both held a collective breath as her glassy gaze slipped over Yugi's hiding place to rest upon the one sitting across from her. "…A…tem…" At first her lips felt odd, twitching from the new strange name coming from them, but they slowly rose into a smile as the syllables came together. "It suits you." The hoods of her eyes fell slightly as a hint of pink entered her cheeks while giving his hands a brief squeeze. "It's nice to meet you…Atem…"
The lump returned in his throat as he nodded, a searing heat briefly shooting down his legs as his name left her angelic lips. Never had his name sounded so wonderful than in that moment, coming from her lips and spoken with her voice.
Without either of them realizing, the boat had been maneuvered through a willow tree's canopy and was lazily circling thanks to the current that Yugi was creating beneath the water's surface, casting a glance up at the boat above every so often. Jono appeared upon his shoulder with a triumphant look and they took a break to peek at the pair. Fireflies were now casting small almost enchanting lights from within the willow tree's branches and the soft sounds of the water made even their own excited hearts slow with calmness. It however was short lived when they spotted a dark shadow in the water.
The pair within the boat were captivated by each other, their eyes never leaving the others as a near heart stopping gravity began to build between them. Each was sure that the other could hear their hammering heart as their faces grew closer. Instinct took the lead as their eyes became hooded in unison, hers fully closing when his warm breath wafted her face, and held her own as something warm touched her cheek. One of his hands rose to gently cup her cheek, tilting her head slightly to better align their lips as his nose gently brushed her own. Never had he experienced something as wonderful and indescribable as this; he felt invigorated and strong enough to take on an army of Great White Sharks and at the same time as a lowly starfish that clung to the craggy rock in fear of being swept away by all of the new waves of emotions. He wouldn't trade it for the world though and knew that his sacrifices were not in vain as his eyes finally closed, her soft whisper of his name causing his heart to warm.
Yugi and Jono were helpless as the moment was shattered by the shadow that leapt from the water, effectively capsizing the boat and causing the pair to fall into the water. He made to ask his friend to continue watching over his brother but already found him gone and Yugi wasted no time in following the shadow that made for the connected loch leading to the ocean.
"You have got to be kidding me!" Anzu felt absolute humiliation as she was helped to her feet, hands clinging onto Atem's forearms as she shivered violently. Of all the days for her to wear the white lace dress that had been buried within her closet all these years because she deemed it too feminine for her taste it had to be today! What made matters worse was that now that it was wet her undergarments were now on display! "D-don't look at me, okay?! If swear, if I catch you peeping-" Her word screeched to a halt as she blinked in surprise when whistle or comment came and felt something heavy wrap around her shoulders. The increased weight and slightly baggy cloth was unmistakable: he had shed the jacket he had been wearing and was using it to help her! His lips lifted into an assuring smile before picking her up and carefully began making his way through the water towards land. Her protests fell on deaf ears and she even debated on forcing her way out of his hold but they dissipated when she caught sight of his determined eyes that were locked on the mansion and resolved herself to simply allow him to carry her. With their close proximity, she took notice of the sandalwood scent coming from him, finding it soothing, that was tinted with the scent of warm amber that made her think of a crackling fire.
She was so lost within her own thoughts that she didn't notice the affect their closeness was having upon Atem. Carrying her was no problem for him, being as he was fit himself and her love of dancing made her fit comfortably within his hold, but the scents tickling his nose caused a faint blush to enter his tanned cheeks. He took a moment to glance downward when she snuggled closer, her face resting within the crook of his neck and shoulder, and found her softly smiling. The sweet scent of peaches intensified each second and he blinked when it was joined by the soft undertones of a treat they had tried earlier, marshmallow she had called it, and found that he couldn't get enough of the girl in his arms. Feeling a deadly gaze causing his to look up at one of the tall windows and caught sight of Kaiba glaring down at him, fighting the urge to answer the unspoken challenge and instead placed her upon her feet.