"So this is your actual soul room, right? The stuff out there is just a magical addition of some sort?" Yuugi asked, motioning back towards the doorway that they'd just come through.

Atemu nodded, seemingly unable to meet his partner's eyes as embarrassment flowed across their link.

Yuugi raised an eyebrow at the unexpected emotion, then hesitantly offered, "I can leave if you're not-"

"No," Atemu interrupted, shifting his gaze so that he was staring at a point just above Yuugi's head. "You are always welcome here."

Yuugi frowned. "Then why are you acting so weird?"

Atemu lowered his gaze, finally looking Yuugi in the eye. "I have my memories once more and they include my training on the reading of soul rooms. Knowing what I know now, I have half a mind to slap my cousin for entering yours. You had no idea what you were inviting him into."

Concern sprang to life in Yuugi's chest. "What do you mean by that?"

"These rooms of ours lay bare our ba, turning it into a tale that is easily read by those who know the proper language. To grant another entry is to trust them with knowledge of who you are in the purest sense. That is not a thing given lightly. What Marik gave us was only the briefest of introductions to the concept. There are many things that he left unmentioned."

Yuugi considered this and found that he didn't mind much. Marik was his friend and he liked the idea of his friends knowing him. He cared even less that Atemu now had similar knowledge, but he could tell that his partner didn't share the sentiment. Given the way he was acting, this room must be saying something embarrassing. Yuugi couldn't even begin to guess what it was, but he didn't like there being this strange stiltedness between them.

"We can go back to my room, if you like," Yuugi said, gesturing to the doorway. "I can tell that you're uncomfortable here and I really don't mind if you know everything about me."

Atemu looked at his partner for a long moment, then he reached out and pulled Yuugi to him, turning the smaller teen around in the process. When the action had ended, they were standing so that Yuugi's back was pressed against Atemu's chest. Strong, bronze arms wrapped around his torso, holding him close. It was a position that allowed them both to gaze upon the room before them and Yuugi had a hunch that wasn't an accident.

Then Atemu leaned down, resting his chin on Yuugi's shoulder. "When I said that you are welcome here, I meant it and I would mean it even if you understood the secrets that this place tells. Allow me to prove that to you."

Yuugi nodded, uncertain where this was going.

"These rooms always seem to reflect one of two things: a place that you love or a place that you desire. Because of this, they can change with time, as mine has. When I was first brought into my soul room, I found that it had taken on the form of my mother's personal chambers. They were once my favorite place in all the world. A place that I associated with safety and love. Since then, my tastes and desires have altered. My soul room now reflects that which..." Atemu paused, grip tightening as he moved his head so that his eyes were pressed against Yuugi's neck. When he continued, there was a rough quality to his voice, as if the confession pained him. "It reflects that which I want above all else: to have this place be not just yours, but ours. That is why the bed altered. It is meant for two instead of one."

Yuugi stood frozen, staring around the room with a new understanding. Then he closed his eyes and brought his hands up, curling them around Atemu's arms. "You- You don't have to be embarrassed by any of that. I- gods, I want that, too."

They stood like that for a long while, both at a loss for words. Finally, Yuugi opened his eyes and looked down at his partner. "I don't think that your bed would fit, though. We'd have to get something a little less grand. Think you could find it in you to give up that small country that you call a bed and sleep on something suited to us mere mortals?"

Atemu chuckled, looking up at Yuugi with eyes full of adoration. "You ask a great deal of me, partner. I do not know if I could bring myself to make such a sacrifice."

Yuugi gently pulled at his partner's arms, a silent indication that he wanted to turn around. Atemu softened his grip and moved back, allowing Yuugi to twist so that they were standing chest to chest. Then Yuugi reached up, wrapping his arms around the back of Atemu's neck as he promised, "I'd make it worth your while."

Atemu let out a low hum, as if he was considering the offer. Then he sighed dramatically. "I suppose that I could manage to suffer this great indignity to my person, if only for your sake."

"My hero," Yuugi teased. Then he leaned up, pressing their lips together. A gesture Atemu happily returned.

When they parted, Yuugi let out a contented sigh, leaning his head against his partner's chest as he murmured, "I love you."

"And I you," Atemu returned, curling himself around his partner. After a brief, but pleasant silence, the former pharaoh said, "There are many other, less dramatic things that one can learn from this room, if you would care to hear them."

"I'd like that," Yuugi said, smiling.

Atemu nodded. "It is too much to go over it all at once, but I can tell you a few things tonight."

With that, he pulled Yuugi over to the bed. The couple positioned themselves so that they were lying curled together, Yuugi's head on Atemu's chest. The former pharaoh began to run his hand along his partner's back as he pointed to a bust sitting on the left side of the room. "That is my cousin and dear friend, Mana. In our younger years, the two of us were the terrors of the harem. We were far too curious and clever for our own good."

"Oh, do I get to hear stories of little Tem?" Yuugi asked, eyes shining.

"Did you want to?"

"Yes!"

Atemu chuckled, pressing a kiss to Yuugi's forehead. "Very well, let me think. Oh, I know. You may recall that my favorite fruit was figs?"

"Yes."

"They were something of a delicacy and, as a child, I was only allowed them as an occasional treat. I considered this the greatest of injustices and set about plotting to right this wrong. Mana, ever my faithful companion, assisted as did several other children of the harem..."

Yuugi listened with rapt attention as Atemu told him stories of the past. Eventually, they moved on from Mana to the next bust in the line and then the next. One-by-one, Yuugi learned the names and faces of the people that Atemu held dear. Eventually, they came to a face that Yuugi already knew and Atemu paused, hand outstretched, pointing towards the image of his father. He did not speak the man's name or begin some new tale. Instead, he stared up at the bust in thoughtful silence. The emotions suddenly flowing across their link were reminiscent of those that Yuugi had felt when he'd first arrived earlier this evening. He thought back to where he'd found his partner and frowned, remembering that Atemu hadn't been presenting offerings in Akhenamkhanen's temple. Instead, he'd been speaking to the man.

When it became clear that Atemu wasn't going to say anything any time soon, Yuugi sat up so that he could better see his partner's face. "What's wrong?"

Atemu started, coming back to himself with a confused, "Hmm?"

"Something's bothering you. Something to do with your dad. Do you wanna talk about it?"

Atemu pursed his lips, studying Yuugi closely.

Yuugi stared back uncertainly, then his eyes widened. "Wait, is it something to do with me?"

"It has nothing to-" Atemu began, then broke off, wry amusement twisting his lips upward. "I was about to say that it has nothing to do with you, but that would be a lie. It has everything to do with you, just not in that way that you seem to fear."

"Explain it to me then."

Atemu gave his partner a searching look, then sighed and nodded. "I find myself... confused by today's events. That which transpired between us and Kaiba. A few short weeks ago, I would have shot him from the sky had you not stopped me. Today, you compromised your safety in order to gain his trust even though you had the upper hand in every way. All of my teachers would have called me wise and you foolish, yet your path proved to be the better one. We gained much needed knowledge and an agreement for aid should the need arise."

"And that bothers you?" Yuugi asked.

Atemu wrapped his arms around his partner, pulling Yuugi back down. The smaller teen positioned himself so that his head was once more resting on Atemu's chest as a bronze hand began to stroke along his back. They lay there in silence for a long while, then Atemu said, "'Bothers' is not the wrong word for that which I am feeling, but I wish to be clear that I do not disagree with the course that you chose. It was the right one and it is that which bothers me.

"I strived to be a just and fair ruler. To uphold Ma'at. To follow the wisdom of those who came before me. I thought that I played my part well, but now I wonder if there was something else that I could have done. Some action I could have taken which might have changed my uncle's heart. Some way to persuade Bakura against enacting his revenge. How many suffered that long ago night because I failed to see a different path? Could Mahado have been saved? Karim? Shada?"

Yuugi could hear the uncertainty in his partner's voice. Could sense the sadness resonating across their link. In response, he moved so that he was leaning over his partner, looking down on Atemu's now confused face. Yuugi smiled softly and then dipped his head down, pressing a chaste kiss to frowning lips. When they parted, Yuugi brought a hand up to brush along Atemu's cheek. The former pharaoh leaned into the phantom touch with a sigh, letting his eyes fall shut as Yuugi whispered, "I've seen what happened first hand. Have puzzled over it looking for clues and, let me assure you, you did nothing wrong."

He continued on, voice growing in volume as he explained, "I've dealt with bullies my entire life. One of the things I've learned is that you can always be kind, but you can't force peace. For that to happen, both sides need to be willing to take the leap.

"What happened today with Kaiba only worked because he was finally willing to listen. Probably because of the reason you gave: he knew that I had the advantage. The situation with your uncle and Bakura was nothing like that. By the time you knew what was happening, they overpowered you four items to three. Plus you'd been separated from Isis and Seti, so it was actually more like one on four! Anything you offered would have been seen as a desperate attempt to save yourself. For peace to have worked, it would have had to come long before that night.

"It couldn't have, though. That would have required you to know the truth of the items and Kul Elna, but no one ever told you. You had no idea about any of it until they struck."

Atemu opened his eyes, looking into Yuugi's determined face. Then the Egyptian leaned up, pressing their lips together before he pulled back and whispered, "Thank you. If even you cannot see another path, then maybe one never existed."

"Not with the cards you had," Yuugi agreed. "If we could go back and tell you or your father everything that we know now, I'd like to think that things could have changed, but I suppose we'll never know."

Atemu hummed in agreement, face growing pensive.

"What are you thinking about now?"

"I am puzzling over what actions I could have taken to right the wrong done Kul Elna. There were ways, though I think that all of them would have involved either the destruction of the items or avoiding their creation all together. One could argue that the second path would have been the better one, but taking it would lead to even more of my people lying dead or enslaved by invaders. I cannot say with certainty that I would make such a change. To be a king meant-"

To Atemu's surprise, a pale hand reached up and flicked his forehead, cutting him off mid-sentence. Though the action caused no pain, he still placed a protective hand over the spot as he stared up at his playfully glaring partner.

"Stop that," Yuugi commanded. "We've got enough on our plate without you trying to puzzle over the morality of time travel."

Atemu's shock faded to amusement, a glint of mischief flashing in his eyes. Then he struck with a scorpion's speed, grabbing Yuugi about the waist and flipping them so that Yuugi was the one lying on his back as Atemu hovered above. "You dare to strike a king?"

"I dare to strike my king, but only when he's being silly," Yuugi replied airly before sticking out his tongue in a teasing show of defiance.

"Such arrogance, partner! Bossing me around, dismissing my worries, claiming ownership of me. Were we in Kemet, the whole palace would be in an uproar," Atemu purred, leaning down so that their lips were almost touching. Though Yuugi was incapable of blushing when they were like this, his emotions still gave him away, revealing his interest in their current positions. Atemu smirked, a soft fondness in his eyes as he breathed, "And I would have reveled in every minute of it."

With that, he closed the distance between them, pressing their lips together once more. Pale hands wrapped around his neck as Yuugi returned the kiss gladly.

As they traded soft kisses and murmurs of devotion, their worries quickly faded from their minds. Those could all wait until morning. Tonight was for them and them alone.