Title: One More Time
Rating: PG
Pairing: Yu-Gi-Oh! Seto/Yami
Disclaimer: Sole property of Kazuki Takahashi. Fiction story.

It's amazing how… overwhelming the world can be when there is no dark place to hide, good or bad. Life at the hospital was simple; Atem woke up, ate the breakfast given to him every day, did his physical therapy, was entertained by Yuugi and his friends, and then would just relax in his little room. He had a beautiful view of Domino, of course, and oftentimes yearned to walk right out of the hospital and rejoin society. Cabin fever settled in hard and any longer, he was sure he'd go mad; perhaps not as mad as he had been from being locked away for three thousand years, but very close! Atem wanted to join the world! He was ready to explore what this world had to offer all on his own and enjoy it to the fullest.

A part of him was now regretting that desire.

As Yuugi and Sugoroku whisked him away in the car, Atem smiled the entire way home, watching the massive buildings fly by, followed by modest homes and familiar streets he remembered while being in a young boy's mind. Once they returned to the game shop, however, his excitement turned into nervousness. Yuugi tachi came over that very night to throw Atem a "welcome back" party with lots of music, games, and - with Honda and Jounouchi's help - booze. It was a flurry of motions and sounds and Atem had to feign tiredness to leave and retire to his new room. It helped, if only for the night. The next day the group dragged the ex-spirit to downtown Domino for even more games, shopping, sightseeing, and surplus amounts of food.

Atem tried to smile through it all, really he did. His friends were only trying to make him feel comfortable and wanted; that his second chance at life would be filled with great friends and memories. It was his turn to experience everything first hand! It was time to see what Domino truly had to offer! It was time to push down on the proverbial pedal and fly ahead.

The problem? No one knew how to apply the brakes. Atem was thrust into throngs of people walking up and down the streets. Businessmen and women rushed to and fro in frantic states of existence, parents corralling their children to get them to behave, students and tourists laughing and moving from shop to shop. Restaurants were filled to the brim and vendors shouted from their stalls hoping to get people to buy their wares and trinkets. Cars roared in the streets, lights flashed and blinked brightly in the evening darkness, and the weather changed on a dime, going from sunny to rainy in a matter of minutes. Things that Atem could avoid as a spirit were now front and center with no hope to escape.

With all the sights and sounds occurring all at once, Atem discovered he was not as versed in Japanese culture as he thought. Whenever he accidentally ran into someone on the street, he fumbled over his apologies and proper bowing etiquette. He could speak some Japanese, but only what he picked up from Yuugi or his friends. At restaurants, he could not read any of the items and would have to ask Yuugi to interpret what each dish was. He could interpret some hiragana, but kanji and katakana sent him into quiet hyperventilation. Street signs just looked like gibberish, and trying to understand the differences between Japanese coins made his head ache.

It was all too much too fast.

Atem wanted to slow down.

He didn't have the heart to tell his friends.

A week and a half had passed since his release from the hospital and once again, Atem couldn't tell his friends no. They were out at some strange little German pub in what many of the older folk called the "rowdy alley," sitting at a table in the back corner discussing if they wanted to stay here and order something called "spaetzle" so Atem can experience the taste of a foreign food, or try another place. Atem sat at the high top table, feet digging into the lower bar as his leg jiggled frantically, idly gnawing on his pinky finger. He'd tuned out Jou and Honda's conversation a while ago, wincing every time a loud laugh boomed through the small space, and he was sure a headache was coming on. It was late, people were drunk and things were getting louder and louder.

A gentle hand on his arm caused Atem to jolt and accidentally knock over a glass of water. Jou and Honda's boisterous conversation stalled and Ryou immediately began dabbing at the mess with their napkins. Yuugi looked at his other half with softened, worried eyes.

"Atem? Are you alright?" he asked.

"I…" Atem shook his head and plastered on a smile, forcing himself to sit a little straighter with his usual confidence. "Of course I am. I was just a little startled is all. Did you guys figure out what you wanted to do?"

"Actually, we wanted your opinion on it," Ryou said kindly with a small smile.

Atem's smile faltered a bit and he swallowed. "O-oh I… I apologize, I must have forgotten what we were discussing…"

Ryou tilted his head a bit. "Would you like to try a new dish or would you like to go somewhere else?"

Atem gripped the edge of the table, opened his mouth to speak, and then closed it again.

"Atem?" Yuugi's brow furrowed. "Is something wrong?"

"I…" the ex-pharaoh bit his lip and jumped again when his phone buzzed in his pocket, and he fumbled with the device. A strange sense of calm rushed over him and he smiled, seeing the text. "Excuse me, everyone," He said and stood with a quick bow, quickly weaving through the tables until he was outside.

Jou blinked and gave Yuugi a strange look. "What's that all about? He got some secret girlfriend we don't know about?"

Yuugi shrugged and watched his other half disappear. "I'm not sure," he lied, knowing exactly who it was. Only one other person would make Atem run out like that.

Outside in the cool, crisp, and quiet air, Atem leaned against the side of the building and opened his text messages, clicking on Seto's name.

Are you free?

Atem felt his fingers shaking as he texted back as best he could.

No but… we talk? That phone video thing?

Video chat?

Please… Atem found a little stool hidden in the corner of the alley and sat down heavily just as his phone began ringing. He swiped on the video camera icon and his shoulders slackened when he saw the other's face. "Seto…"

"What's wrong, 'tem?" Seto asked, frowning. He was just leaving the office and he stood next to his car. "You look like hell."

"Blunt as ever," Atem replied with a deep sigh. He ran his fingers through his bangs and his leg began to jump again. "I… I'm not sure. I think I just needed to see your face."

"What's going on?" Seto slipped into his car and attached his phone to the adaptor secured to his dashboard. "Where are you?"

"Out somewhere in downtown Domino," Atem shrugged and leaned back against the wall, "Yuugi and his friends took me out tonight but…"

"But…"

"I'm not sure," Atem confessed, closing his eyes, "it's so loud. Everything is… amplified and I can't seem to relax anymore. It's been like this for the past week and a half. Non-stop movement, new places, new foods, new sounds! I feel like my skin is crawling and-"

"Atem," the pharaoh opened his eyes and stared back into blue ones, "have you heard of something called sensory overload?"

"No… what's that?"

"It's when too much of something can cause a lot of irritation and cause people to become overwhelmed," Seto replied, "this can create a lot of anxiety in some people."

Atem raised an eyebrow. "Anxiety?"

"Makes people fidgety or uncomfortable," Seto clarified. The sound of an engine turning over hit Atem's ears and he watched the CEO pull out of his parking spot. "Listen, where are you? I'll come get you."

"What?" Atem blinked and sat up straight. "No, please don't do that on my account. I'm here with the others anyway."

"I said, where are you, Atem?" Seto replied firmly and Atem blushed, giving the location. "Good. Now, I want you to go back inside and I will come get you."

"What?" Atem sat up straighter with a frown. "I can't do that! They did this all for me and-"

"Did they ask you if you wanted to go out tonight, or did they just take you and you didn't argue?" Seto said with a glare, despite the fact his eyes were focused on the road.

Atem winced and looked at the ground. "Eetoo…"

"Exactly," Seto nodded, making a sharp turn. "Go inside and wait for me."

Atem bit his lip but stood and slowly walked back to the entrance. "What if…"

"No," Seto said, "No what ifs. Do you want to be out right now? At a pub?"

"... no."

Seto's face softened and he flashed the barest of smiles at the camera. "Then give me a couple minutes and I'll be right there. I'm not far at all."

Atem smiled and nodded, "I'll see you soon then." he said and then ended the call. He pocketed his phone just as he returned to his seat at the table and Jou was the one to speak.

"Man, you left in a hurry," he said teasingly, "You got a secret girlfriend? You know you can always bring her around!"

Yuugi tensed and Atem frowned, shaking his head. "No… I don't have a girlfriend, Jou."

"Then who were you talkin' to?" Jou asked.

"Truthfully, it's not something I'm willing to share right now," Atem said, arms crossed, giving the blonde a hard look. "Perhaps this is something I would like to keep to myself."

"Hey now, I wasn't tryin' to start anything," Jou held up his hands but he was frowning deeply, "Just you left us so quickly and here we are tryin' to help you-"

Atem bristled and Yuugi gripped his elbow tightly, forcing him back into his seat. Before the former pharaoh could speak, his phone went off again. That was quick. He took a deep breath and stood, grabbing his jacket. "Thank you all for your hospitality tonight," he said evenly, turning to Yuugi and kissing his cheek. "I'm going to go now," he whispered to his other half.

"Yami," Yuugi bit his lip and tightened his grip on Atem's arm.

"I'll have him drop me off later tonight," Atem whispered so only Yuugi could hear, offering a comforting kiss to his forehead before standing and walking out of the pub.

Jounouchi stared, dumbfounded. Honda looked just as confused as Otogi, and Ryou placed a comforting hand on Yuugi's shoulder since the other watched the Egyptian walk away from the table and out the door.

"... what the hell just happened?" Jounouchi blurted after a tense silence and Yuugi sighed, turning back to the group.

"It's nothing, Jou. Just let it go for now."

Outside, Atem easily spotted the fancy car that could only belong to an eccentric billionaire and opened the passenger door, sliding inside. The noise from outside immediately dissipated and strong arms pulled him in close, his face buried into soft silk. He inhaled the subtle scent of sandalwood and a strange spice he couldn't place and felt his shoulders slacken. When he lifted his head from his little cocoon, he smiled.

"How come you always arrive just in time?" he teased and Seto smirked, bumping their foreheads together.

"Where do you want to go?" he asked and the pharaoh sighed, leaning back into Set's chest.

"Just… somewhere quiet. No flashing lights. No crazy menus. Just… calm."

Seto thought for a moment before nodding and urging Atem back into his seat, helping him with his seatbelt. "I think I know just the place."

"Seto… this is absolutely delightful."

Seto smiled triumphantly, watching as Atem sat at the edge of the Domino River. Domino River was a rather popular place for groups of people to go and sit as the water flowed by, having small picnics, get together and drink, or to just relax after a long hard day at work. They took the staircase that led down to the water's edge, walked under the bridge connecting North and South Domino together, and set up a small blanket just far enough away from the other patrons. It was quiet, no flashing lights, and any boisterous sounds were dampened by the rushing of the river. Atem sat bare feet and smiling, feeding some birds and ducks scraps from the little bento the CEO picked up at a local convenience store for the night, laughing when one jumped onto his shoulder.

"Only you would get pleasure out of feeding poop machines," Seto teased and Atem stuck out his tongue childishly, holding up his hand so said pigeon could peck away at the bits of rice in his hand.

"I think it's adorable," Atem replied, standing and walking back to the blanket to sit next to the brunette. The birds followed and only left when they realized there would be no more food right now. The pharaoh sighed and leaned back on his hands, eyes closed, and head tilted back. "By the Gods, I didn't know how much I needed this… this silence. Do you think we could come here one more time in the future?" He opened his eyes and glanced to his right where Seto sat, resting on his elbows, sans his work jacket. "Thank you, Seto. Thank you for taking me here… and for asking me what I wanted. "

"We can come here whenever you want," Seto shrugged and sipped the vitamin water he bought from the store, setting it down. "Even the best intentioned people can be blind to the needs of others," he said, popping a little sausage into his mouth and chewing. "But you also have to muster up the courage to say "no" to them."

Atem sighed and laid down, staring up at the sky. "I don't want to disappoint them, though," He said, "they put so much effort into all of this… wanting me to feel included…"

"They want you to feel included in what they like," Seto replied, tossing Atem a roe onigiri which the Egyptian took with a look of glee, "you've done everything they like. Have they ever once asked you what you want to do?"

Atem frowned mid chew and lowered his hand from his mouth. "... now that I think about it," He mumbled, "not really… but I've known them for almost three years now. I know what they like and I want to be a part of it."

"That's not a bad thing," Seto replied, sitting up so he could finish off the fried squid in his bento box and then toss it into a bag, "but again… this is your second chance at life. You have to discover what it is you want to do also. You can't make them happy all the time."

The pharaoh sighed and hung his head, "How did you get so smart at all this stuff?" he muttered and Seto smirked.

"I observe everything," the CEO replied. "And… if I am honest with myself, because of you." the ex spirit's eyes widened and the brunette continued, "look… whatever it is you did to me all those years ago… did more than just stop me from committing actual murder," He frowned and sat crosslegged, shoulders hunched, "it… made things a little clearer. Yes… My desire to beat you and become the best was always front and center, but I also learned that… you need to care about other people. I tried to pay more attention to Mokuba and even our relationship changed for the better… because I actually started listening to him.

"Your friends are there for you," Seto continued, straightening as Atem scooted closer. "But they aren't listening to you. So you need to also set your own boundaries and assess your own feelings, away from Yuugi's, away from the dweeb squad," he rolled his eyes when the spirit smacked his arm. "You need to tell them what you want, not kowtow to what you think they want you to be."

Atem tilted his head and smiled when Seto finished his little speech. The CEO looked slightly flushed in the cheeks and now stared out at the river, not meeting his own gaze. Shifting closer, the ex-spirit leaned in and pressed his lips to a warm cheek, his hand coming to rest on Seto's knee.

"You are more mature than you like to play it, Seto Kaiba," he purred and said man blushed even harder. Seto huffed and pushed Atem over, causing the smaller male to flail and laugh. "Seto!"

"Shut up," He muttered and pushed the Egyptian back down, making him laugh even harder. His smirk returned and he pounced, pinning Atem to the blanket and the ex-spirit shrieked and smacked his chest but to no avail; the brunette was stronger than he appeared.

"Seto, you brute," he said through labored breaths, hair tousled and cheeks flushed from laughing. He gazed up at the CEO and smiled brightly, looping his arms around his neck, pulling him down. "... Seto…"

Seto hummed and allowed himself to be maneuvered, bracketing Atem's head between his elbows. "You know…" he murmured, noses pressed together, "we never actually solidified a day for us to have dinner."

Atem shook his head and closed his eyes, running his fingers through brown locks, "We did not," he agreed. "I fear that it was my fault again."

"It's Friday now," Seto offered, settling down atop the other, peppering Atem's face with light kisses, pointedly ignoring his lips. "Tomorrow is Saturday… shall we plan something then?"

Atem nodded and closed his eyes, trying to coax Seto's lips to his own to no avail. "Yes… but somewhere quiet… no bars… just the two of us…"

Seto nodded. "... how about a simple dinner at the mansion," He suggested, "I have a beautiful courtyard that gets no use… just the two of us… and I'll have my chef make dinner… what's something you would like?"

"I… think I would like to try something from my own culture," Atem confessed, "I want to remember what it tasted like… legumes freshly farmed, fish caught fresh from the Nile… Egyptian bread… I want to go back."

Seto made a mental note and nodded. "How about seven pm tomorrow," he suggested, "I'll have Isono pick you up from the game shop."

Atem smiled and nodded. "Okay, but I want something right now."

"And what is that?"

"I want you to kiss me," Atem replied and Seto chuckled.

"Oh fine," He groaned and swooped in, the two kissing underneath a clear, black sky while the rest of Domino faded into obscurity.

TBC

NOTES: I would first and foremost like to apologize for the long hiatus between chapters for One More Time. Believe me, it's not something that I am happy about myself but I feel like I want to clarify some things.

When I began writing this story, it was in the midst of a global pandemic, I was in a foreign country and had more time to myself than I'd like to admit to write this out. Now, since i've returned back to my native country, I've acquired a new job that takes up quite a bit of time, or leaves me too exhausted to really think. That doesn't mean this story has left my interest; I can't tell you how many times I reread it to try and spark new inspiration for it and it finally struck.

Also, the back story and plot line of this story has been changing consistently since its conception. I wrote it down, lost my notes, found my notes, and then had to add more notes to it. I want to focus more on Seto and Atem's relationship but also feel like I need to expand more on the backstory of other characters, but I'm concerned that will bog down the story. However, if you guys are interested I'm sure I can devote some chapters to other characters. Feedback on that would be much appreciated.

Please know I am still dedicated to finishing this story but please remember, real work life always comes first. I've never been a creator to pump out pieces in a matter of days, or even weeks, and the stress of trying to live up to that gives me major anxiety. I am appreciative of every reader I have here, especially being out of the writing game for so long, but please understand that not everyone can create all day every day. I need mental days, even months, to recharge and get back into things. I will always try my best but I want to give you guys the best story I can, and that takes time. So please stay with me and I will do my best to give you a story you will love and want to continue reading.

Thank you everyone who has commented, given kudos, reached out to me, or just read and enjoyed. It means the world to me and honestly, I have missed writing. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and now that I have some sense of where this story is going, it won't take more than a year to get another chapter.

Just bare with me if it does. 3