Hello everyone and welcome back to another chapter! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing the last one and I hope you'll enjoy this one just as much. We are moving at a slow pace still, but some bits and pieces are slowly being set in place for future chapters to come.
Again, I hope you'll enjoy :)
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Chapter 6
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There were many things Atemu hated and one of them was showing weakness. Not because he thought he didn't have any, because he had, but solely because he didn't want for anyone else to use the ones he had against himself. Currently, however, it was just Yami sharing the bedroom with him and it was why the tanned Neko had flopped his body down atop the bed with his face buried deep into his pillow. The fact his back was now exposed was a conscious thought inside his mind, but with Yami purring softly as he was folding his freshly washed clothes, Atemu knew he was safe. At least, as safe as one could be whilst one part of him was focused on his surroundings at the same time another part of his mind had plunged itself deep into a dark pit of never-ending thoughts.
One of them was the fact he hated his math teacher as much as he hated showing weakness and that the old geezer had to be a demon in disguise of sorts. The other was that he had, somehow, not yet scared off the group friends Yami had introduced him to at the start of this week and Atemu sighed softly as that thought made him realise he had barely survived his first full week at school. So far, he was only good at PE while he would probably never learn what his other classes tried to teach him and the tanned Neko growled low in his throat again when that made him think of his math teacher once more. The old geezer was an idiot, even more so than the social workers trying to make him talk during themandatory psychiatry hours he had had to endure twice this week as well.
Everyone was being an idiot. Every. Single. One. Though Atemu halted his train of thoughts at that moment as he listened to Yami purring at the same time the latter was cleaning up his side of the room from the meagre amount of laundry he had had. Somehow, he had become an idiot as well, because he had allowed for himself to grow even more attached to the pale Neko than he already had been several days ago. He had tried to stop it, truly, but as soon as he had realised what he had accidentally done, Atemu hadn't been able to stop the process anymore. There was only one person not being an idiot and that was Yami.
His roommate was considerate and Atemu had to say he had grown quite used to the soft chirrups Yami would make whenever he was about to enter their shared bedroom. In return, the tanned teen had felt himself wanting to repay that consideration and it was why he had quickly adapted to letting out a soft rumble of his own to alert the other Neko to his upcoming presence. Aside from them doing homework together and playing games to alleviate their brains from an information overload, the chirruping and rumbling had also fast-forwarded the fact he had grown attached to Yami; even though he had continued to tell himself to stop.
He couldn't allow for himself to grow close to anyone because he knew the other would be used against him and Atemu sighed again as he tried to find a way for himself to stop the process. Much like he had done the entire week, but he couldn't because a part of him didn't want for him to end this development. A part of him was grateful the other still wished to spend time with him and had woken him up from several nightmares this past week too. He was glad Yami was his roommate, he was glad the other understood his body language so well and Atemu simply didn't want to let go of that. No matter what he told himself and that wanting this was bad... He still wanted it; especially as Yami hadn't objected at all either.
"Atemu?", was the soft voice breaking through his spiralling thoughts and Atemu gladly lifted his head from his pillow in order to roll over and gaze at Yami who had tucked his ears away into his hair slightly while he was holding onto his towels as well as pyjamas. "I'm sorry to disturb you, but I just wanted to let you know I'll be off to take a shower", the pale Neko continued as soon as he had his roommate's attention and the tanned teen nodded while his rose-red eyes gleamed slightly. Yami merely smiled in return before he left the room, though as he did, Atemu sat up properly in order to survey his surroundings.
His black ears focused on the sounds coming from the bathroom while he felt every muscle tense in his being in case he had to be ready when one of the other inhabitants of the house would come up to their floor. Atemu couldn't quite place it as to why, but he didn't like them one bit. He didn't like the pretend-parents nor the four pretend-sons they probably thought were angels. Something was off, very much so, but neither Neko had been able to put their finger on it quite yet.
Still, the tanned teen knew his roommate was as wary of the other inhabitants as he was and even more so when they'd make a sound in the middle of the night. His own fear of the dark was nothing like Yami's, although Atemu had grown quite used to that already as well. It didn't even bother him his roommate liked to sleep with a light on, though he couldn't shake the soft whimpers the other Neko had made last night.
Something had triggered for Yami to have a nightmare of his own and Atemu had woken up to it, prior to returning the favour of waking his roommate up like the other had done to him. Doing so, however, had made the pale Neko shy away from him in fear and black ears flattened themselves into thick tri-coloured hair as Atemu remembered the motion. He could still remember the expression, the whimpers as well as the way those crimson eyes had gleamed and the images still made him burn with fury. He would never forgive the monsters who had abused him in the past, but to see the extend of the pain and sorrow they had caused upon another made him even angrier.
Why people couldn't keep their hands off of others was beyond him and Atemu sighed as he tried to shake his thoughts for the umpteenth time. His head already hurt because he had just survived an entire week of school and so he really didn't want to think about anything else for the moment; which was why he gently took the deck of Duel Monster cards from the drawer of his nightstand. Much like Yami, he had taken to sorting through the cards in order to calm himself and it's what he did right now ever so gently. After all, he was asked to keep these cards safe and he would do his utmost to keep that promise.
Sorting through the cards also gave him more understanding of them and he hoped Yami would have some time this weekend to play. A part of Atemu, the soft-spot he tried to ignore, had already given in to the attachment he had developed with his roommate and although that also made him more on edge, the tanned teen felt he didn't mind as much as he should. It probably was because they were both Nekos and in a way, that made understanding each other much easier. One such example was the soft chirrup he heard and Atemu smiled slightly as he looked up in time to see Yami walk back inside their shared bedroom after his shower.
"Welcome back", he greeted slightly and he was treated to a kind smile on pale lips whilst Yami made his way towards his closet.
"Thanks, although I never truly left. I'm really grateful the others don't come up to this floor as often as I had expected they would", Yami said whilst he took the drying rack from his closet in order to hang his towels away and he smiled again when Atemu nodded in agreement.
"Definitely. Makes it a little bit easier to deal with them on a daily basis too", the tanned teen replied in return with a soft grumble, before he looked up at Yami as the latter sat down behind his desk to do his homework. "More?", Atemu asked softly with a slight dread filling him from top to bottom whilst another part of him told him he shouldn't care. Still, his roommate nodded as he opened his book.
"Yes, because I don't know how much time I'll have for it this weekend. It's a bit of a habit to make homework whenever I can and definitely so because tomorrow we'll do groceries shopping and I want to cook in the evening. Aside from that, I'll probably go out for a run as well and that leaves me with even less time to do my remaining homework this weekend", Yami answered, prior to starting on his worksheet, though he looked up again when Atemu sighed softly in dread. "Don't worry, you don't have to do any of this right now. Take a break, I know I will tomorrow", the pale Neko said with a warm smile and rose-red eyes almost gleamed with relief while the tanned teen remained seated upon his bed.
"Even though I'm behind, I think I'll just sit here for now", Atemu replied softly with a flick of his tail and he folded his ears slightly in discomfort as he was reminded of what their math teacher had said to him. The other man didn't even believe he'd make it to the end of the year, which made the tanned Neko growl softly under his breath whilst sorting through his cards. Of course he was behind on his education, he had had quite a few other problems to deal with than calculating and geometry, but what did the old geezer know about that?
Nothing, because Atemu would never tell the fool of a teacher about what had happened to him, but he would show the idiot what he could do. He had won plenty of fights, literal ones, so this one was easy... although he had to agree with the pale Neko: a break for now sounded absolutely perfect and thus he gently continued to sort the cards in his hands to their respective pile. It calmed his mind whilst his sensitive ears could hear the other teenage-inhabitants of this house scream in victory downstairs, before his attention was lost in the soft scribbling of Yami's pen. The other Neko would mumble on occasion as well sometimes and Atemu curled his tail slightly in ease whilst he read the text upon the card he was holding.
Still, at the soft creak of the staircase, his eyes flicked up towards the open door giving him sight of the hallway. He could see how Yami tensed as well whilst he stopped writing and crimson eyes turned towards the stairs too to see who would try to barge into their privacy. "Hi guys. Are you about to use the shower?", Luke asked as he had come up with a towel and his pyjamas, which was enough to make Atemu stop his soft growling.
"I have already taken a shower. Do you need the bathroom, Atemu?", Yami asked as he only barely turned towards the tanned Neko still seated upon the bed and glaring daggers at Luke, but the latter shook his head whilst laying the card down he had been reading.
"No, not at the moment", he answered curtly, but he didn't divert his attention from the other teen whilst Luke gave a small smile prior to him disappearing into the bathroom on their floor. Only when he was out of sight did Atemu loosen some of his muscles, though he was still wary for his own reasons. He didn't like any of the other teens and especially not as they had come home a few more times this week whilst smelling of sex and more. It had been enough of a reason for both Yami as well as himself to create a mutual agreement of keeping them all at a distance.
"He stinks", Yami muttered softly under his breath while wrinkling his nose and Atemu looked up slightly to see his roommate get up from his chair in order to grasp the spray he usually used for his bed sheets. Gently, he sprayed some of its contents near the door and the tanned Neko had to admit he appreciated the new scent filling their room. It was definitely calming his overflowing mind that wouldn't let go of any kind of thought; be it about his slight worries in regards to Yami or the fact he was still reprimanding himself over his growing attachment to the pale teen... He simply couldn't let them go, but the herbs used in the other Neko's spray did alleviate some whilst he cleaned the cards back up into his nightstand.
"He does. Thanks for offering your spray... It must be expensive to buy", Atemu offered while he watched Yami slightly and he curled his tail in a way to chastise himself because he really shouldn't care. It only made his situation worse as he didn't need friends and he definitely couldn't put anyone else in harm's way if certain people would associate Yami with him. It had happened before and he couldn't afford it to have a weakness; a lesson he should have learned by now.
"Only slightly, but you don't need to worry about that. I'm long glad you allow for me to spray it on my sheets every evening", Yami whispered with a slightly guilty look to his eyes, but the crimson irises were also warm with gratitude. After all, he was more than appreciative of how Atemu allowed for him to sleep with the light from the lamp on his nightstand and he was also glad the other Neko was here to help him through the night.
"Any time, especially if it chases most of your fear and nightmares away", Atemu replied, because he still remembered the frightened look he was given last night after Yami's horrid dream and he hoped to not see it again anytime soon. Plus, the herbal scent wasn't a bad one at all and he could even feel how it affected him in a calming manner; until his ears caught the sound of the shower being turned off. His rose-red eyes gleamed in warning and Atemu could feel his muscles tensing as a warning growl escaped his throat. One that wouldn't leave and although it made Yami feel on edge too, a part of him was glad the other Neko was as careful as he was.
Not that he could help the tensing of his own muscles whilst he remained close to his bed and grasped one of the toys in an attempt to help him calm down, but he simply couldn't help himself as he squeezed the life out of it when Luke appeared in the doorway. "Thanks, although why are you two hiding up here? Don't you guys want to come down and play some games with us?", Luke asked, although that made cat-like eyes grow darker almost instantly.
"No thanks", Atemu growled while he dug his nails into the fabric of his sheets and he felt his muscles tense even more. If the other would only dare to step another foot closer to their room, he'd kick him out permanently and without another warning.
"Thank you for the offer, but no thanks. I'm quite all right up here", Yami answered in a slightly calmer fashion, but Luke still looked offended while he shrugged in confusion.
"We won't bite, you know, and we all have to live in this house together. We might as well try to get along, right?", the other teen asked with another shrug of his broad shoulders, but Atemu's growl only upped in volume whilst Yami tried to keep his own under control.
"Perhaps we are forced to live here now too, but that doesn't mean I have to be social with you every time you guys decide to play a game. Plus, I'm still quite offended with what you said earlier this week, so if you don't mind: I'm quite all right up here. No still means no", the pale Neko answered and to that, Luke slowly lifted his hands up in surrender.
"Fine, be that way. As the truly adopted son of Mary and Harold, I try to make everyone feel comfortable in the house, but if you decide to remain anti-social that's fine by me. I did my best", was the given reply in return, before Luke turned away from the open door and headed back downstairs. Probably to report to his so-called mother, but Atemu didn't care whilst he continued to tear his bed sheets ever so slightly. If the lone woman would come up and dare to try to reprimand him again, he'd tell her off just like he had done earlier in the week. He wasn't a baby, he could take care of himself and he definitely didn't need them to tell him how the world worked. That was already beaten into him just fine...
"Asshole", the tanned Neko muttered rather darkly with another threatening growl on his voice, before he snorted in an attempt to shake his anger. His tail continued to flick back and forth, however, but he didn't pay any mind to the appendage while an annoyed sigh escaped his lips. As it did, Yami couldn't help but give his roommate a curious glance which Atemu answered with a shrug.
"That was for not thinking things through on my end, because I still need to take a shower. If I come back and smell horrid, just tell me to get another wash?", was his muttered question and the pale teen nodded while Atemu slowly gathered his things. "Fact remains he is still an asshole", the tanned Neko continued and although Yami agreed with the other, he couldn't help but smile slightly when his roommate had left the room for his own shower. Somehow, it was both peaceful and a little funny to hear Atemu insult Luke and especially so because it lifted the tension from within his own body.
There was something off and it gave him chills as his mind lingered on the thought, but Yami couldn't exactly pinpoint what it was. Aside from the smells surrounding Luke every day after coming home, the teen simply gave him the creeps. Plus, he was annoying, had insulted them and had currently been an arrogant arse, much like Atemu had pointed out and the pale Neko flicked his tail from left to right slightly as he continued to wholeheartedly agree with his roommate. Still, in the sudden silence whilst being left alone, he couldn't concentrate on the remainder of his homework, which was why he cleaned everything up into the bookcase dividing his side of the room from Atemu's.
A soft grumble made him aware of his roommate's return and Yami smiled gratefully as he turned to acknowledge Atemu. "You smell shower-fresh to me", he said with a slightly teasing grin and a twinkle to his eyes, though he was glad the tanned Neko sighed in relief instead of him being offended.
"Good", was his soft grumble either way, before he hung his towel to dry on the drying rack from his own closet, prior to settling back down on the bed. He was glad he didn't smell like the disgusting teen who had showered before him, but the warm water hadn't been able to wash his agitation away and Atemu continued to growl ever so softly whilst trying not to rip his sheets to shreds. He wasn't sure if he'd get any new ones, after all...
"Hey, Atemu? Would you like to play a game between the two of us or do you want for me to leave you alone?", was the soft question coming from Yami's side of the room and black ears moved towards the gentle voice piercing his angry thoughts, before Atemu glanced at the half-filled bookcase separating him from the other Neko.
"I'm not sure if I'll be a lot of fun to play games with, though", he answered back, but he kept his gaze upon Yami as the latter got up from his bed to walk around the bookcase to glance at him.
"Well, we can always stop in the middle of the game if you don't feel like playing. We don't have to play Duel Monsters either because Yugi handed me some board games from home yesterday. Unless you want to play something else?", Yami asked and Atemu sighed softly while he appreciated the other Neko for keeping his voice as soft and calm as possible. The other wasn't intruding and he wasn't scared of asking question... he was simply considerate of the fact neither one of them was feeling safe.
"If you don't mind explaining all the rules to me, I wouldn't mind a board game", Atemu answered slowly, though something inside of him felt warm at the tender smile he was given, before Yami got onto his knees to pick the new games from the bottom shelf. It urged the tanned Neko to help his roommate, especially as they moved one of the desks to the middle of the room to make gaming easier, although a part of his mind kept nagging at him. Giving in to Yami's request wouldn't help his attempt at not becoming attached... In fact, it would make everything worse, but the weary half of his mind told him it didn't matter. It was already too late and he would just have to start coming up with other ways of dealing with what he had created.
Not that he had time to think about that whilst Yami was teaching him another game to play and he felt himself smiling again ever so slightly as the turns went by. There were cards, land-tiles and cities he had to conquer whilst creating roads so he would earn points and it was definitely more fun than ripping his sheets up in agitation. He even didn't mind the small-talk Yami had lured him into as it was neither distracting or annoying. It was rather peaceful and he chatted about his first week of school whilst the pale Neko chuckled softly in agreement.
"Yes, mr. Dibbs can be quite an annoying man and especially so because he thinks math is the best subject in the world. Plus, he thinks that everyone should be able to do it as well as he can and will refuse to see that some of his subjects are just... hard", Yami replied with a roll of his eyes because their teacher sucked and Atemu couldn't help but chuckle either whilst thinking about his move.
"He's the worst out of all the teachers I've met this week and I admit I'm glad we don't have school tomorrow. I need a break from those idiots", the tanned Neko muttered and he couldn't help but notice Yami's cheeky smile, before he concentrated back onto the board. Gently, he placed a tile with a road in order to expand his 'territory', prior to moving one of his pawns across it. Luckily, he didn't meet up with any of his roommate's pawns along the way, thus he happily handed his turn over to Yami whilst the other hummed softly in thought.
"Will you go shopping with us tomorrow? I mean, they gave us our allowance last week when we arrived because that's how they do things here, but I was wondering if you would join everyone else or if you'd rather stay home?", Yami asked as he took a card from his deck and pursed his lips whilst thinking about what to do next. He was taken from his thoughts, however, as Atemu shrugged.
"Not sure, because we've been shopping for food last week and there is still some left on my shelf in the pantry. As far as I'm concerned, I don't need much else than that. Plus, the 'family' will shop for our basic meals which we don't have to pay for separately", Atemu answered as he thought about what he still had on his shelf and the fact he still wasn't comfortable leaving it downstairs. He had bought it, after all, and others could still touch what was his... It hadn't happened yet, but only one week had gone by so far and Atemu wasn't a very optimistic person in regards to the other members of this household.
Then again, being able to buy something was new to him in so many ways, he was almost tempted to go out and do that again tomorrow. He had even managed to buy something from the cafeteria at school after carefully studying other students as well as Yami when the latter had been hungry and in need of a quick snack. Still, a recently discovered part of himself didn't like spending money either, because perhaps he should be saving it for any kind of worst case scenarios he should be thoughtful of and it was why the tanned Neko didn't want to go shopping tomorrow.
"Well, you can always stay at home and take a walk around the area. We haven't had much time to do so last week. I will be going, considering I asked if I could cook tomorrow evening as I am getting a little sick of the shepherd pies and the overload of salt as well as fried food. Is there anything you'd like for me to cook tomorrow?", Yami asked with a slight tilt of his head whilst he performed his own move on the board, prior to effectively getting rid of Atemu's pawn trying to cross into his territory.
His question, however, made rose-red eyes gleam with uncertainty whilst the tanned teen fell silent with another shrug. "As I said to Mary: you eat what's put on the table or starve instead. There is no other option than that really", Atemu replied, although he mentally noted that didn't count for the extra's he had been able to buy and which were now sitting on the shelf downstairs. Yami still smiled at him either way and the tanned Neko felt himself calm down because the other teen wasn't patronising him. He wasn't looking down on him either while his crimson irises gleamed with something unreadable.
"Although I understand your reasoning, I do hope you'll one day pick up a favourite kind of dish. For example, what did you like to eat this week and what was not to your taste?", Yami asked and his voice was filled with a gentle kind of curiosity which made Atemu sit back slightly whilst forgetting it was his turn.
"If I have to choose... I guess I didn't like the thick noodles", was his slow answer as he thought back on the meals he had eaten this week, though he didn't exactly mind eating them considering they had helped him put on some more weight after weeks of barely anything. In that regards, he had fallen from hell into heaven, but not one he trusted. Not one he wanted to be in either, even though it was much appreciated his body could currently find the rest and resources it needed without having to fight for it.
Flicking his tail slightly as he saw Yami try to contain his chuckles, Atemu tried to get rid of the dark thoughts inside his head whilst he hoped to focus back on the game. The pale Neko was already winning by a landslide, but it was fun to learn something new; especially as this game was even more strategic than Duel Monsters. It had him on his seat while he had to use his mind to make the best decisions and he was glad Yami helped him out here and there when he was stuck.
"I was actually thinking of making chicken curry", Yami whispered, before he nibbled his lip and silently pointed his roommate in the right direction. Rose-red eyes gleamed gratefully as he helped in the minimal ways, before he smiled when Atemu was able to take down one of his pawns.
"What's stopping you?", the tanned Neko asked in return whilst he finished his move with adding a new asset to his territory, prior to looking up at Yami when the latter sighed. It sounded worry-filled, which was not exactly what he had anticipated and it made Atemu frown slightly as he suddenly started to expect the worst.
"Well, I don't want to make you sick, because chicken curry is a bit more spicier than what we've eaten all week and because of your previous answers to food, as well you guarding it with your life...", Yami whispered softly, before he sighed again. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry but I just noticed and that's why I wasn't sure if I should make chicken curry... I really don't want for you to get an upset stomach", the pale Neko continued whilst his triangular ears flattened themselves into his hair; with the damaged one doing its best, but Atemu couldn't find it in himself to become angry.
"You're not prying", he stated, because the latter hadn't asked any questions. He had simply made note of his behaviour and that couldn't be held against him. It just showed how smart the other Neko actually was... "But you don't need to worry. I won't get an upset stomach that easily", was his mere answer in an attempt to reassure Yami and he could hear the audible sigh of relief, before pale lips curled themselves into a warm smile. Which was comforting, because it meant he didn't need to explain while the other teen nodded in understanding and Atemu felt his lips twitch upwards slightly in appreciation as well.
"Then I hope you'll like what I create tomorrow, although I'm sorry for bringing all of it up", Yami whispered softly with a slight wince, before he tensed up and gazed at the staircase when he could hear the slightest creak. Atemu had heard it too as his ears perked up in alert and he quickly rose from his seat with a soft growl, before he snorted softly when Mary reached their floor.
"I see you two are having fun and I'm sorry for interrupting that, but the lights will go out in five minutes. Everyone is heading for bed and I want to ask for the two of you to do so as well. We'll head out to the supermarket early tomorrow morning, are you coming with us Atemu?", Mary asked softly and deep down, the tanned Neko wanted to say yes. Because he had to watch his back and that meant he also had to watch Yami's due to him having grown attached. It wasn't the other Neko's fault, solely his and he would find a way to undo it, but he didn't know how at the moment. Still, he shook his head as he also didn't want to get even remotely close to the supermarket like last week.
"No, I'll stay at home as my shelf is still full and I want to use the time to walk around the area a little to see where I've ended up. I haven't had the time to do that yet", he said as kindly as possible, because she had asked him a normal question; not a prying one. It didn't matter he liked neither her or the question, but he could at least be decent for now... if only slightly.
"Very well and I hope you'll like your new home as you discover it. Take your phone with you though so you can call us in case you get lost or you can use the internet to access the global map", Mary answered, before she seemed to waver slightly. Still, she pushed on as she squared her shoulders with another small smile. "Luke said he had tried for you two to come downstairs. Now, it's quite all right to have your need for privacy, but we would enjoy having you two with us as we talk about what happened during our days that isn't discussed over dinner. We have to live together in this house and it is no use to be anti-social, so please, come downstairs some more so that we can get to know each other", were her soft words and Yami flattened his ears slightly whilst Atemu immediately answered with a growl.
"No", the tanned Neko said while all of his muscles tensed as if he was getting ready for a fight and his rose-red eyes were gleaming with unfiltered anger while Yami slowly rose from his seat with a shake of his head.
"As I told Luke, I appreciate the offer, but I don't want to immerse myself into this household just yet because my placement here could be lifted any day. I'm just not comfortable yet with being with you and I don't want to be thrown into the deep by putting myself on the sofa whilst you chit-chat away. You mean well, but this will go at my own pace, not yours", Yami answered and he lifted his chin slightly whilst he glared at Mary for even trying to get into his bubble.
"At your own pace is fine, Yami, but we are here for you and you don't need to keep your distance. No one at this house will hurt you", Mary said, before she nodded in greeting, prior to turning around whilst the lights downstairs were slowly turned off. Both Nekos could hear how everyone wished each other a good night, but neither moved until the owner of their current 'home' had vanished completely.
"You're awfully polite", Atemu muttered while he gazed at Yami and the cards of their game he was still holding, though his eyes also caught the swishing long tail which was thick with anger.
"Because I wasn't looking for a fight, much like you weren't looking for one either", the pale Neko merely answered softly, before he started to clean up their game with a soft grumble forming deep within his chest. His crimson eyes were gleaming as much as rose-red ones were, though Atemu didn't feel threatened as the anger wasn't directed at him. He was actually impressed by the better way of how Yami had dealt with their host and he wondered if he could learn that too instead of flying off the handle like he usually did.
He also wondered if he wanted to learn, but Atemu quickly shoved that thought aside whilst helping his roommate clean up their room. It took only a few seconds and they waited for each other to finish brushing their teeth in the bathroom, prior to turning most of the lights off. Again, Yami sprayed his sheets with the calming herbs and Atemu could feel how it affected him in a good way once more too. It made him feel slightly better as he tried to control his emotions, because they wouldn't do him any good and they might even give him nightmares if he would linger too long on them. He didn't want that as much as he didn't want to see Yami as scared as he had been last night, which was why he took deep calming breaths as he laid curled up underneath his blankets.
"I'm sorry she ruined our game", was the soft whisper taking him from his thoughts, but Atemu didn't mind while he sighed softly.
"So am I, even though you were about to win with a landslide. Will you teach me how to beat you another day?", he asked, because this kind of losing wasn't so bad. This one didn't land him without food or a beating because Yami would only smile and re-start again if he had to. Much like he had done with Duel Monsters and it was why Atemu wasn't surprised his roommate hummed in positive acknowledgement. What was surprising, however, was the fact he felt himself cheer up ever so slightly as the gentle hum was followed by soft purrs.
"Definitely, because we both need a rematch now and I'd really like to teach you some more. There is no shame in losing these games", Yami whispered while he snuggled his pillow and sighed whilst his mind was already getting ready for tomorrow. It might become a struggle, but he'd deal with that in his own way; just like he had always done.
"There definitely isn't, though I'm looking forward to when we can play again. That is, if I figure out how my phone works in case I need it for this 'map' she was talking about", Atemu muttered and Yami couldn't help but smile whilst he continued to purr softly in reassurance.
"You'll figure it out. You're smart, Atemu and you're a Neko. We always figure it out, no matter what", Yami offered and the tanned Neko couldn't help but smile at those words, though he didn't reply to them as he took another calming breath.
"Good night", he whispered softly instead as Yami's soft purrs filled their bedroom and slowly, he followed the other teens example because it did make him feel more at ease.
"Good night", Yami whispered back just as softly, before he closed his eyes against the gentle light from the lamp atop his nightstand. It was soothing to have that there and to have Atemu's deeper purrs as well to help him calm down. All he hoped for was that they would get him through the night and it was with that final thought he slowly fell asleep.
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Thank you all so much for reading this chapter and if you have the time, please leave a review. The next chapter is still a work in progress as I need to fix some issues with the timeline (and get things straight), but hopefully it will be up soon. See you then, byebye!