Hi all! My sincere apologies for not publishing anything lately, but I haven't been into writing that much as of late. At least, not the things I need to write. Instead, my mind keeps coming up with new ideas and then abandons them the next day or so. Which, I have to admit, is not useful at all.

Either way, this little piece I can publish because it can be read on its own (just in case my creativity abandons me again). It is inspired by a Synchroshipping Fanfic named Double Joy on AO3 written by ifwegettherebysunset, though this story barely has anything in common with the original one any longer. My bad ;)

So, to wrap this A/N up: the established relationship is Monarchshipping (Yami x Atemu) in an AU-world. The genre for this chapter is mostly humour, though if I will continue this, it will have romance in the next few chapters. This chapter more-or-less follows Yugi's POV and again, if I will continue, we will switch to Yami or Atemu's POV with the following chapters.

Also, I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! This work is merely for fans made by a fan. Thank you and enjoy!

Surprise

And here Yugi thought he was the surprise…

Driving through the silent street, Yugi nibbled his lips slowly as he looked at the apartment complex he just passed, before his eyes caught sight of the terraced houses beyond it. On the other side were a few semi-detached homes with garages and a driveway, but he didn't stop the car until he had reached the end of the street were another apartment complex had been built on the corner. It looked out over a large pond which had a few beautiful look-outs at several points, before it zigzagged away into the deeper parts of Domino City while the building itself was quite stunning as well. The gallery below was open and had large windows to bring in plenty of light while plants, as well as seats, decorated the entire area.

It didn't take long to find a parking spot luckily, though Yugi still hesitated as he gazed at the doorbell panel and scanned the several numbers until he found the one matching the note in his hands. With a deep intake of air, he pressed the button, prior to gazing into the camera as he heard the rings through the intercom.

"Hello?", was the soft question after several rings and amethyst eyes gleamed with sadness while Yugi internally winced.

"Sorry for the intrusion, but I was told this was the apartment belonging to Atemu Sennen. Again, my apologies", he answered while blushing a fair shade of red due to his embarrassment, although he halted in his turn when the baritone voice replied back; one that sounded just like Atemu's had done a few years ago.

"It is. You're Yugi, right? Atemu isn't home at the moment, but he will be in a few more minutes. Would you like to wait for him upstairs?", the other man on the other side of the intercom asked and slowly, Yugi gazed at the camera while a few thousand scenarios of him ending up dead if he accepted the invitation flashed through his mind.

"No, it's all right. I don't want to impose", he therefore answered, because he didn't know this man and he hadn't seen Atemu in more than two years. What if the stranger was lying to get him upstairs? Yugi was many things, but he hadn't been given a fair growth-spurt, his magical abilities were on the decent side and he wasn't very strong either so his death was the most likeliest of options.

"You wouldn't be imposing, I'm sure Atemu would like to see you again, but you can also wait in your car or at the side of the road. He'll be back home in about half an hour", the other man replied and Yugi nodded to himself slightly while he said his thanks to intercom. Afterwards, he turned around to get back to his car, before another thought struck him: whomever was inside the apartment knew his name. Yet, he hadn't introduced himself, so how could they know? Were they truly acquainted with Atemu? If so, he might be able to trust the other man, right?

It was at that very moment the front door unlocked and Yugi turned around again to gaze at a man who could have passed for his twin. A more handsome twin, the smaller man out of the two had to admit, but it would have been do-able. The other also looked strikingly alike to the last memory he had of Atemu, though the subtle differences were greater here: alabaster pale skin as opposed to dark caramel and crimson eyes instead of a red which could resemble blood if his former friend had been angered enough.

"Sorry, I can't just let you stand here on your own whilst twilight is upon us. My name is Yami", the pale man greeted him with an outstretched hand and even though Yugi was still flabbergasted, he accepted the handshake either way.

"Ah, Yugi. Yugi Muto", he introduced himself while he gazed at the other man's chiselled face and his amethyst eyes fell upon the black mark underneath the corner of Yami's left crimson eye, before he was able to scramble himself back together.

"Yes, I know. Atemu talks a lot about you", Yami answered with a warm smile as he released Yugi's hand, though the latter could only feel his confusion grow as the minutes passed.

"I wish I could say the same… Sorry", the smaller man whispered as he frowned and tried to see if he had any kind of memory of Yami ever being introduced to him, but he couldn't come up with one. He wouldn't forget someone like this man either, as the latter was a fine man in his dark jeans and black turtle-neck, so Yugi almost felt a sense of relief when the other chuckled softly.

"No need to apologise as we both know Atemu is horrible at keeping in touch. He did talk about you though and we watch your tournaments whenever we can. You have another one coming up this weekend, haven't you?", Yami asked while he kept the door open and it made Yugi feel bad while he nodded with his confusion ever-growing.

"Yeah, I do… Atemu watches my tournaments?", Yugi asked with a tilt of his head and Yami hummed softly with a gentle nod from his head.

"He does", was the soft answer, prior to the pale man stepping aside ever so slightly. "Are you sure you don't want to go upstairs and wait there? It will only be about twenty more minutes for Atemu to come home", Yami offered again and although it could still be a trap, Yugi felt his curiosity overwhelm him because the other man had fallen off the charts of being a real threat. Unless he would swing a fist at him, of course, but the amethyst-eyed man tried not to think of that while finally accepting Yami's gentle offer.

"All right, but I truly don't want to impose", Yugi replied gently, but crimson eyes gleamed warmly at that prior to Yami leading him the way.

"You're not imposing and I hope you're hungry as I'm about to make pasta", the other man offered with a gentle smile on his lips, though it only confused Yugi even more.

"How long have you known Atemu? Are you two living together?", he asked with a frown, especially because he thought he'd be the surprise. Now, it seemed, he was given one instead and he wasn't sure what to think of it yet while Yami gave an affirmative hum.

"We are and have been for the past two years. Atemu is able to afford this apartment for us. He pulled me from the slums and I took him away from the Elite. We met somewhere in the middle and are perfectly content with that", Yami answered, before he opened the front door to one of the top floor apartments and Yugi internally winced as he should have known to keep quiet. After all, the other man wasn't marked for no reason and he, as a guest, had no right to ask painful questions.

The thought was forgotten, however, as he entered the lovely apartment and amethyst eyes grew big at how homey it felt. Atemu had always lived like a Spartan and thus with as little decorations as possible, but everything about this house breathed a home-like air with the walls a warm sandy brown while the floor was a beautiful dark wood. There were plush pillows on the sofa, a thick rug underneath the coffee table and photos on the walls too while actual living plants made the entire space livelier than Yugi had ever seen Atemu's dorm room be.

His shock was also why Yami's information took longer to reach his brains than it would have done any other time and Yugi gasped softly as everything finally registered. "You're the reason why he left!", he practically called out in surprise as he stared at Yami with his eyebrows probably touching his fringe. It felt like that at least while he had trouble closing his mouth at the same time crimson eyes turned to him in mild surprise. A slight disagreeing hum filled the apartment next while the pale man made his way to the open kitchen.

"Yes and no, really. Atemu was already sick and tired of being considered an 'Elite' just because of how he was born and in what kind of family. Even without me he would have left the top at some point in order to live a more peaceful life", Yami answered softly while he put a pan with water on top of the stove, before he turned to Yugi again. "Would you like anything to drink? We have soda, lemonade, mixed juices, tea or coffee", was his next offer and the smaller man blinked for a moment, prior to asking for a soda.

"But- But I don't understand", he whispered after accepting his glass and taking another good look through the beautiful home. In return, Yami merely smiled warmly while he continued cooking and Yugi couldn't help but feel his mouth water with a sudden hunger as the lid of a slow-cooker was lifted to reveal the delicious scent of bubbling tomato sauce.

"Perhaps it's better if Atemu explains his reasons for leaving. Let me call him just to make sure he's actually on his way", Yami replied after he had checked everything, prior to picking his phone off the dining table. "And don't worry, I will keep you a surprise", he continued with a chuckle and Yugi nodded slowly while his mind remained confused about the whole concept. Sure, he hadn't seen his once friend for over two years and a lot could change in that amount of time, but this much? Atemu had never cared for food and he had always kept himself at work in order to either complete an order or to just not go home.

"Hey Até, it's just me", Yami said softly and Yugi noticed his crimson eyes grew warm while a smile settled on his lips. "Ah, you're already on your way? Are you trying to make up for your tardiness yesterday?", the pale man asked with a chuckle and at that, Yugi couldn't help but smile either even though he was more surprised than ever before.

"All right, I'll see you in a bit. Drive home safe", Yami continued with another smile, before he ended the call and gazed at Yugi kindly. "He'll be here shortly. Take a seat, I'll go get the table set up". The invitation was soft, though the smaller pale man didn't take it while he gazed at his host with both surprise and curiosity shining in his amethyst eyes.

"Do you need a hand?", he asked, however, as he didn't think asking all the other things on his mind would get him very far. Not without Atemu being present and also because it would make him a rude guest Yami would probably see to the door himself; no matter the other man wasn't like him. There was no trace of magic nor any other kind of threat Yugi was made aware of... Simply nothing.

"No, it's all right, but thank you. All I have to do is clean these papers away that still need grading and then I need to know if you eat pasta with a spoon or a fork?", Yami replied gently as he turned towards the table and this time, Yugi noticed the amount of paperwork actually lying on top of it. As if a new light was shed upon them and he blinked in newfound surprise prior to his brain starting to function properly again.

"A spoon, please", he answered, before he frowned slightly again. "Grading?", he asked and Yami hummed softly with a new smile on his lips.

"Yes, grading. Atemu works at the Duel Academy and these are the essays the students had to hand in about trap cards, the differences between them and their uses. Although I am not allowed to work by law, Atemu still lets me help him with these. Then again, he also allows for me to post videos on YouTube to show how my hands either cook or bake without people knowing what I am while he also helped me publish a cook book under a Pseudo name of course", Yami answered and for a moment, his crimson eyes gleamed as if he was measuring Yugi's reaction; which he was, but he couldn't say that out loud. Not that he needed to as the smaller man understood the implications just fine, though at the mentioned accomplishments, Yugi could only feel a thrill of excitement rush through his veins.

"That's amazing, though wait- Atemu works at the Duel Academy? I thought he'd hate the game by now", Yugi muttered more to himself than to Yami while a frown marred his more innocent features in thought. It made his confusion grow, as well as his surprise, though he was taken from that as the other man hummed softly in disagreement while he continued to set up the dining table.

"Not at all. Atemu still loves Duel Monsters even though he is no longer allowed to play in official tournaments. Not that he wants that, but he does wish to teach children about the game. He does want for them to know how much fun it can be and that there is no shame in losing. He loves teaching all the children about what he knows and he still loves learning about the new rules being brought into play, before he helps his students learn about them too", Yami answered and Yugi slowly nodded in understanding, even though it was still hard to grasp the basics.

It was then a sound came from the front door and Yami smiled as he checked his pasta sauce again in the slow cooker. "Habibi?", was the soft call from the hallway and Yugi could immediately feel his body tensing in alert as his former friend's magic felt threatening against his being.

"In the kitchen, Atemu and yes, there is someone here to see you!", Yami called back with a smile on his lips while he stirred the boiling pasta in the other pan and Yugi turned to the arch leading into the hallway when strong magic continued to pour itself into the house. Amethyst met alert rose-red eyes as the tanned man entered the living room, though he stopped dead in his tracks as his gaze fell upon his guest.

"Who- Yugi?", Atemu asked softly and not for the first time was the smaller man reminded of how much his former friend looked like Yami; a man he had just met. They were both more mature than him and their faces were more chiselled while their eyes were narrower than his amethyst ones. Yet, Atemu's tanned skin was the most noticeable difference between the three of them and in regards to magic, Yugi knew he would lose even before he'd try to challenge his former friend.

"You shouldn't be here. I don't want for you to get into trouble", were the words which cut through Yugi's thoughts as he compared Atemu with the memory he had of him, but not much had changed. He had merely grown two years older, although his shoulders did seem less burdened with life and if the smaller man had to be honest: his former friend also looked happier. Still, what the tanned man said was able to shake him from his reverie and Yugi quickly shook his head while stammering in disagreement.

"N- no, no, no, no, I won't get into trouble. You see, with me pursuing a Duelling career, the top sort of kicked me out at the same time I left, so no need to worry. There is nothing they still want with me and I also don't want to have anything to do with them anymore either. I- It's fine", Yugi concluded, before he took a deep breath. "Unless, of course, you don't want me here because well… You haven't really talked to any of us in the past two years. If you want to have the space and quiet to yourself, then I'll leave, but I just – Well, I just wanted to see how you were", the smaller man concluded while rose-red eyes were looking at him as if to see if he was speaking the truth. It was why Yugi kept his stance open and his magic as low he could keep it while Atemu's irises gleamed with something he couldn't read.

"It's all right… I'm sorry for not keeping in touch, but I didn't want for anyone to get in trouble with the top while you were still trying to make a name for yourselves. If someone would have known you'd be talking to me, neither Mana or you would have been able to get a fair chance at a good job and I didn't want to stand in the way of that", Atemu said as he relaxed his stance slightly while Yami smiled behind the kitchen counter as he continued to stir the pasta.

"Yeah, I thought you'd think like that, so rest assured now: Mana and I are doing just fine. It's because of that I finally decided to scramble some courage together to see if you were still living here and… Well, apparently you do!", Yugi exclaimed with a soft chuckle and tanned lips twitched up in a smile of their own too, though Atemu's magical levels didn't decrease. At least, not until Yami had put his hand upon his lover's shoulder with his crimson eyes gleaming warmly.

"Dinner is ready. You two can talk while you eat", he said with a kind smile, before he ushered Atemu towards the table and made sure Yugi settled himself down too.

"Are you sure it's all right?", the smaller man heard himself ask, though the roar of curiosity was bigger and it only grew as Yami nodded while he placed everything on the table: the pasta, the sauce and a large bowl filled with grated cheese. Afterwards, he demanded everyone's plate prior to settling himself down in the chair beside Atemu and thus opposite of the empty chair next to Yugi.

"Absolutely, so dig in", the pale man answered with a smile and Yugi could no longer decline as his plate was filled up with the deliciously smelling food and he hummed softly as it taste absolutely divine as well.

"This is really good", he muttered as he stared at his plate and felt his curiosity reside for a mere moment as he was simply in awe. Yami merely thanked him as he continued to eat himself and that asked for a extended silence to engulf the table, before Yugi felt he was being watched. Looking up, rose-red eyes met his glance and his curiosity returned instantly. "How have you been? I mean, it's been two years and you live in a nice home. Yami said you're working at the Duel Academy? What happened?", were the questions he could no longer hold inside, though Atemu truly didn't seem to mind.

"What happened was that I was finally able to break away from the 'Elite' two years ago and I took that opportunity with both hands. I had to get away from my uncle's tyranny and with my college degrees finally in hand, I simply had to leave. Seto Kaiba granted me a last favour and he gave me the lowly job of teaching at his school with the excuse of not wanting to 'waste my talents'. The pay is good though and I love my job more than whatever I did during college… It makes me happy", Atemu answered, before he was ushered to take a bite of his food instead of just digging into it with his spoon. Yugi couldn't help but notice, but he quickly continued to eat as well instead of asking stupid questions; he knew Atemu's temper and it wasn't a pretty one.

"You certainly look happy", Yugi said instead after swallowing, though he couldn't help himself as he turned a small gaze towards Yami. It was caught by rose-red eyes and Atemu gazed at the other man as well, before he gave a small smile.

"Do you remember the week or so I went missing when I was sixteen?", the tanned man asked and as Yugi nodded, Atemu sighed softly. "Yami found me and took care of me during that time. We had something in common back then, before I accepted his attempt at saving my life. I protected him afterwards and we fell in love. We married two years ago. It was the first thing I did after leaving", were his gentle words and Yugi couldn't help but smile as he saw a kind warmth in rose-red eyes as Atemu gazed at Yami for a moment. The look was returned with the pale man smiling as radiant as the sun, though it were his gentle touches and ushering that caught the attention of amethyst irises more so.

"He's still taking care of you", Yugi couldn't help but utter as he watched the gentle display and as Atemu nodded, the smaller man could feel how his confusion started to diminish. Sure, he was still surprised, but it did make sense.

"Someone needs to", Yami chuckled softly with a small kiss to Atemu's temple and Yugi inwardly smiled at the affectionate display, before he nodded in return. How often had his former friend skipped a meal just because he didn't want to go home? How often had he buried himself in his work until someone had dragged him out of it? There was a reason Atemu had been able to graduate a year earlier than any other student and it hadn't just been his uncle…

"How have you been?", Atemu asked softly and Yugi was instantly drawn from his musings to gaze at his friend while the latter was ushered to have another bite by his husband… Which was a weird thought, the smaller man had to admit that, and it didn't add up entirely just yet either… It was as if something was missing from the story, but Yugi forgot that notion for a moment while he started to talk about his own life.

It was a good life, albeit without his grandfather, but ever since breaking away from the top after graduating from college himself last year: he was doing much better. There was less stress and less to worry about in regards to appearances too. Now, he could Duel and enter tournaments whenever he felt like it without having to hide his enthusiasm for the game. He missed facing Atemu sometimes, though he also had to admit it was nice not to get his butt kicked every time they'd have a face-off. "But yes, I do miss you at the game. You always made me think on my feet and you always brought a thrill to the tournament I haven't really experienced ever since you were – Well, you know", Yugi muttered as he played with the last bits of his pasta, before quickly eating it as it was still the best meal he had ever eaten in his life.

Having been part of the 'Elite' had had its perks, sure, but home-made food would always win against anything anyone had ever given him in his younger years. Not that he could cook himself, considering he was too lazy to learn and could just eat out wherever he wanted to, but that's also why Yugi savoured the current meal given to him, before Yami started to clean up.

"Sometimes I miss it too, but after developing Destiny Draw due to my magical abilities, it wasn't fair to play anymore and I agree with the verdict. Even if uncle did not… Luckily I don't have to worry about that any longer and teaching is far more satisfying too. Grading papers is the hardest part", Atemu joked softly with a smile on his lips, before he got up from his seat as well to help his lover. Yugi was ordered to stay put and he carefully did while he watched the two men work in perfect sync with a small smile on his lips.

He was definitely surprised to see his former friend happy and to see him with someone else after he had buried himself in his studies for years. Where he had hidden Yami was beyond Yugi, but he dared not to question that while the air felt less tense than it had done before dinner had begun.

"I hope you like pudding", Yami said softly as he placed dessert on the table and amethyst eyes couldn't be torn from the heavenly chocolate dish while Atemu put whipped cream and several toppings atop the table. There were strawberries, raspberries, a strawberry sauce, ground almonds or hazelnuts and a jar filled with crushed Oreo-cookies as well.

"I have just been converted", Yugi admitted with a chuckle and Yami laughed softly as well, before Atemu cut them each an equal piece. Decorating was almost more fun than eating it, but the smaller man hummed once more as the pudding simply melted on his tongue. It made the moment of silence stretch again, before he slowly gazed at Yami with his ever-growing curiosity. "How did you learn to make these dishes? You even produced your own cook book, but… How? Where did Atemu hide you?", Yugi asked and the words were out of his mouth before he truly realised what he had said. It made the air tense again for a small second as crimson met rose-red, before Yami smiled as warmly as he had done before.

"Not everyone who is like me has an unfortunate youth or a miserable life. After I was born, I was found on the doorstep of an old lady who ran some sort of orphanage in the slums of Den City. It was under the careful eyes of some Llam Mede, but they have no use for children and thus we were in no danger. She taught us basic school things, like reading and a little mathematics, but she also taught us how to cook and take care of ourselves because she knew she wouldn't be around forever. At some point, I was the eldest and I was almost sixteen when she passed away. Luckily, the overseeing Llam Mede allowed for the orphanage to exist with me at its head until they would have found another woman to take my place", Yami started softly, before he seemed to think on how to continue with his crimson eyes gleaming slightly.

"Shortly afterwards, I found Atemu and managed to help him heal from his wounds. In return, he protected me so I wouldn't have to become a Blood Whore and he also helped me keep the children fed so they wouldn't have to worry about their lives. This we managed to do for two years and after Atemu turned eighteen, he legally made me 'his'. Soon after that, the Round-Up happened...", Yami whispered as he stared at his pudding and all happiness had instantly evaporated from the room.

"With my magic I had been able to establish a mental link between Yami and myself. This alerted me to him being in distress and danger. It was the first time I used the shadows to travel from one point to the next with the blink of an eye and although it wasn't fun, it did get me at Yami's side in time. I was able to protect him from the slaughter and took him some place safe. A home I had been able to buy after years of investing the little money my uncle had given me", Atemu continued the story softly, but Yugi could only nod at that.

"I stayed there in secrecy for four years with Atemu visiting me whenever he could. After his graduation, we left and moved here: to Domino City. We've been living here ever since", Yami concluded softly to which Yugi nodded again without really saying anything. He remembered the Round-Up… It had been horrifying and the tanned man was right to give it the name 'slaughter' because that was what it had been. Hundreds of lives had been lost, the slums had been cleared out completely and afterwards, project managers had claimed the ground for themselves in order to build new villas on top of what once had been a community of its own.

"I'm glad you're safe now and that you have accomplished both the cook book as well as the cooking channel. It's nice to know that all is well in the end", Yugi whispered and he smiled as both men nodded, before they finished their dessert in silence. One not as tense as before, even though each was left with their own thoughts, but that didn't matter at the moment. His curiosity was gone too, as Yugi knew he had heard enough, although he couldn't help but snort softly as his mind finally came to a partial stand-still.

"And here I thought I'd be the surprise. Boy, was I wrong", he muttered with a lopsided grin, before he chuckled when Yami did. Atemu followed soon after and the round of laughter made everything better. Much better.

Thank you all for reading and if you have the time, please leave a review. Hopefully everyone enjoyed it and I'll see you all again next time!