It's as if he's on his first date with her. Except, things went a lot more smoothly on their first date. And they were talking. How much longer is she going to keep this up? And he thought he was the stubborn one in their marriage. She definitely takes it to another level.

Typical sorcerer behavior.

Wait.

She can't read his mind right now, right?

'Now you're just being paranoid,' he says in his head. He takes a sip of his drink and places it down, making eye contact everywhere else but her. If there's anyone in the world that can make him flustered, it's Mana when she's mad. No bubbly personality. No smile. Not even her witty jokes that she says without a second thought with perfect timing.

Deep down he knows it's his own fault. She had given him a few opportunities to open up and tell her what's wrong, to which he basically refused. She has every right to be mad. And he's making it worse by only sitting there in silence. Why can't he just open up his mouth and speak?

The sound of a chair scooting brings him out of his thoughts and he looks over just in time to see Mana getting up and walking away. He slaps his forehead, groaning loudly. "Great…"

Standing in front of a brightly lit mirror in the restroom, Mana takes this time to touch up her make up. "He's giving me the silent treatment?" she says to herself in the mirror. "He took me out to dinner, just for him to try and turn the tables back on me?" She sucks her teeth in annoyance and rolls her eyes.

"I hear you sister," a voice says in solidarity from one of the bathroom stalls. "I hate when they try and place it back on you. Like you're in the wrong."

"I know right? But if it were the other way around…"

"All hell would break loose?"

"Exactly!" Mana exclaims, not finding it weird at all that she's talking to a total stranger that's in a bathroom stall. "And on top of that, the food hasn't even come out yet."

"The food here is overpriced anyway!"

"You know, that actually wouldn't surprise me." She sighs and magically makes her make up bag disappear. "Guess I should go back out there."

"Wait! Can you hand me some tissue? It's completely out in this stall!" the voice pleas and Mana blinks.

She walks out of the bathroom and heads back to her seat, only to see that Atem isn't there. "Oh, come on…" Huffing, she plops down in her seat and folds her arms, wondering where he has disappeared off to. The waitress comes by with their food and places it down finally, but now Atem is nowhere to be seen. As much as her stomach is practically begging for her to eat, it would be rude to start without him being there.

Her phone materializes in her hands and she scrolls aimlessly through to pass the time. Unbeknownst to her, a stranger has been eyeing her from the moment she came in. With black, slicked back hair and a white tuxedo, he takes this opportunity to make his way over to her and sit down in front of her.

"That seat is taken," she says, slowly setting her phone down.

"I couldn't help but notice you're alone."

"If I say the seat is taken, wouldn't that imply that someone is here with me?"

"Or it's some excuse that women give so I don't sit near them."

Mana shrugs. "Also a possibility. Maybe try not being a creep?"

"Can I just get five minutes of your time? You're beauti—"

"My patience is thin," Mana says, her hand glowing under the table. "This is your final warning."

He scoffs. "I'll have you know that many women would love the opportunity to speak to me or be in my presence. I'm the CEO of a very large company and—" He suddenly goes flying across two tables, sliding across the third and crashing into glasses and plates before landing on the ground in a heap to everyone's shock.

Mana chuckles nervously as her waitress comes to her table. "Is everything alright ma'am?"

"Yup!" Mana quickly stands up and throws down a wad of cash. "I'm gonna pass on dinner tonight. Sorry for wasting your time!" Her waitress looks dumbfounded as she walks away, skipping over the man that she just magically shoved into all the tables. Atem comes back into the dining area to a small crowd of people standing over a dazed man and he looks up just in time to see Mana approaching him.

"Mana? What—"

"Let's go," she grabs his hand, leading him away from the chaotic scene behind them. Once outside, she walks a few steps ahead of him, grumbling to herself. "This is what happens when you get hangry, Mana. Seriously, that was overkill. Just plain overkill. But he was annoying and so full of himself. Someone had to knock him back to reality right?"

"What just happened back there?" Atem finally manages to ask when they get a further distance from the restaurant. "Was he bothering you?"

She whips around and cuts her eyes at him. "What is your deal?"

He blinks. "Me?"

"You take me out to dinner so you can turn the tables back on me?" she snaps.

Confused about her outburst, he looks at her with an eyebrow raised. "What are you talking about? I—"

"Why are you giving me the silent treatment?"

"I wasn't! I just—"

"Okay, I admit I was giving you the silent treatment first. But you just really upset me the other night when you shut me out and I was only trying to get a better understanding of what was going on with you!" She turns around and crosses her arms over her chest.

Atem's face goes from perplexed to relaxed as he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath to calm down. Both of them can't be worked up at the same time. It will only make things worse. The stress he feels has obviously made its way over to her, telling by her recent outburst, verbally and magically.

He wraps his arms around her waist, bringing her so close that her back presses against his chest. He buries his nose in her hair, inhaling her sweet scent and feeling more relaxed from that motion alone. He lifts his head when he hears her stomach growl and he can see the blush appearing on her cheeks.

"Dinner didn't go as expected…did it?" he asks, staring down the street.

"It's alright," she shrugs her shoulders. "I heard the food isn't worth the hype."

He lets out a half-suppressed laugh and she finally unfolds her arms, staying in his embrace. "For the record, I wasn't giving you the silent treatment. So I apologize that you took it that way." He exhales. "I just…didn't know where to start."

"I just want you to be okay. And it's clear you're not." She turns her head to him. "Whatever you're going through…you know you're not alone, right?"

"I know…And the reason I brought you here was to attempt to tell you what was happening, but it's hard to describe in words."

"I've found you!" an angry voice growls from behind them.

Mana stands on her tip toes to look over Atem's shoulder, groaning when she sees who it is.

"I thought I saw you walk you out here with a guy with crazy hair!" he continues. "You think you can just run away after you embarrassed me like that?" His suit is stained with food and his previously tamed hair is stringy and unruly.

"How do you know I had anything to do with it? Looks like you just took a bad fall," Mana says innocently.

"Don't play dumb with me! I know your kind! A bunch of freaks is what you are! And to think I wasted my time trying to talk to you!"

Mana's eye twitches at that word. "What did you call me?" She goes around Atem in order to face the guy face to face.

"Mana. Ignore him," Atem says with his back still turned, feeling a headache coming on.

"You think you're big and bad with those powers?" the man taunts with a smirk, walking up to her. "I don't mind putting a woman in their place."

"I don't need my powers to put you in your place."

Atem pinches the bridge of his nose, shutting his eyes to fight off the pain and the voices echoing loudly in his head and in his ear. 'How is it possible that I'm even hearing those voices right now? I don't have—' His eyes trail down and he gasps when he sees the Millennium Puzzle hanging around his neck. He didn't put it on before he left, so how is it here?

"What was that?!" the man snarls, raising his hand to strike her.

Mana begins to raise her arm to block the slap, but before she can fully do so, another hand has tightly grabbed hold onto his wrist. She sighs, "Atem, I had it—" As she turns around, she gasps, staring into the crimson eyes that replace his amethyst ones. If looks could kill, Atem's deadly gaze certainly would.

The attacker doesn't make a move, seemingly paralyzed by Atem's eyes alone. He can feel his heart beating out of his chest and he can practically hear it too.

"You dare raise your hand to my wife?" Atem says in a spine-chilling tone.

"Atem…?" A shimmer from his mid section causes her to look down and her mouth goes slightly agape, seeing the puzzle.

The heart pounding noise in the attacker's ear seems to get louder and louder until it starts to become deafening. He snatches his wrist, sweat pouring out of all of his pores and he grabs hold of his ears. Mana slowly looks over to the man, confused as to what he is doing. She doesn't hear anything except for the occasional car that drives by. But telling by the man's screams, something is ringing loudly in his ear.

"What's going on?! Make it stop!" he yells, hearing the sound of his beating heart pounding loudly to the point where he can't even hear himself speak. "The sound of my heart is getting louder!"

Mana tilts her head. "His heart?" She gasps and turns her head back to Atem, whose deadly expression hasn't changed, nor has he stopped staring the man down with those crimson eyes. Seeing people beginning to take notice, Mana grabs his hand in an attempt to lead him away. "Atem. We have to go. Right now." She tugs at him a little to get him moving and after a few more nudges, he finally obliges. As they quickly walk away, Mana looks over her shoulder seeing the man rolling on the ground.

"M-Make it stop! The noise! THE NOISE!"

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Atem gasps for air after dumping his head in a nearby park fountain. He looks over as Mana makes a towel appear in her hand and hands it over to him to dry his face. As he's doing this, Mana kicks off her heels and sits on the fountain's ledge breathing out a sigh of relief and looking up to the moon in the sky.

"What a night," she comments. Her tummy growls and she drops her head with a groan. "Still hungry though…" Her eyes go over to Atem who sits down next to her, slouching forward to regain his breath.

"This really isn't what I had in mind for tonight," he breathes out, looking down toward the puzzle that sways back and forth around his neck.

"Care to explain what happened back there?" she folds her arms. Sure, she used her magic on that guy and she felt it was a bit much, but Atem definitely went overboard. She almost feels sorry for the man and wonders if he's still hallucinating. Her eyes go down to the puzzle. "And where did that come from? You weren't wearing it earlier."

"Drop it, please," he says, slightly agitated.

She scrunches her face up at his current attitude and tone, but presses forward. "Atem, even you have to admit that was over the top."

"I won't tolerate a man trying to harm my wife."

"I know. But I've seen you use less extreme measures for guys like him."

"I don't want to talk about it anymore."

"I've seen you use the Millennium Puzzle a few times and it always seemed like you had a good grasp on it. What's—?"

He abruptly turns his head to her, raising his voice. "Mana, would you just drop it for Ra's sake?!" he snaps, but he immediately regrets it when she sees her hurt expression.

"Then why did you bring me out here?! What was the point?! For you to go from not speaking to me to going off on me?!" She stands up and begins to storm off.

"Mana, wait." He gets to his feet as well and starts to follow her until she quickly turns around with her hand outstretched, using a magical force to push him and he falls back into the fountain with a splash. The towel she previously gave him lands on top of his head and he spits out a mouthful of water with a surprised expression.

He finds himself walking quickly through the large park in search for her, silently cursing at himself for raising his voice. He certainly hasn't made things better between them at all and tonight has been a whirlwind of emotions. He gets several strange looks from people who watch him walking wearing soaked clothing, but he doesn't pay them any mind.

His nose catches the aroma of food and he follows the scent, leading him to a food truck that has a short line. He looks to a tall statue nearby and sees Mana standing partially behind it with her back turned in his direction. Walking up to her, he calls her name to which she turns around slightly, holding a long sandwich and her cheeks stuffed with food. Her eyes are narrowed at him and she moves to the other side of the statue to which he sighs.

"Okay. I deserved that," he says, following her to the other side and she continues to move until they're on opposite sides, creating distance. She continues to munch on her sandwich with an angry expression and he attempts to lighten the mood again. "I see you found something to eat."

She glares at him, as if expecting him to say something else. Like an apology.

He exhales again. "I'm sorry."

She sassily moves her head, wanting him to continue.

"I had all the intentions on telling you what was going on, tonight. But honestly…I'm still trying to figure it out."

Mana rolls her eyes and turns away.

"I promise I will tell you…" She turns her head to look at him from over her shoulder. "Soon. Just…give me some time."

Biting into her sandwich is her response, choosing to remain silent as she processes the events that happened tonight.

"Look…it's been a long night. We're both worked up and stressed. And after the latest major battle we had not too long ago, I think we need to take a vacation..." He takes two tickets out of his pocket to her surprise and she looks at him questionably, clutching on to her sandwich. "…A real one. Just the two of us."

"I don't know…"

"It'll be good for us."

"What about Cairo?"

"I've already asked Téa and Yugi and they're fine with watching her," he says, but he can still sense her hesitance and he's practically begging for her to go. "Please."

Sighing, she reluctantly reaches for one of the tickets and he gives it to her, immediately feeling a sense of relief that she has seemingly agreed. "What time's the flight?"

"In an hour. And I have everything packed in the car ready to go."

"The airport is fifty minutes from here."

He smirks. "Plenty of time with a magical portal."

She groans loudly and places a hand on her forehead. "I'm gonna have to do one big enough for the car that we parked a few blocks away."

"I believe in you."

"I'm still mad at you," she says leading the way.

"You've made that painfully clear." But he holds out hope that things will turn around for the better when they go on their trip.

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"Dad says you're staying with us for a few days," Yufi says, sitting on her bed with the lamp on. Her knees are pulled to her chest and her pink blanket drapes over her head as she stares into the phone's screen that displays a dark room belonging to Cairo.

Hiding underneath the blanket in her own room, her face is illuminated by the screen in front of her. She is supposed to be in bed sleeping, but she rebels against her babysitter's wishes. "Yeah, my parents are on this 'mini vacation' as my dad calls it," Cairo replies in a slight whisper.

"This is gonna be so much fun! We're going to stay up super late!"

Cairo shakes her head, not believing that at all. "I doubt your mother would allow that. I'm surprised you're up now."

"I got done with my homework super early so she says I can stay up later," she cocks her head to the side, just now registering Cairo's dark bedroom and her whispering tone. "Something tells me you're supposed to be sleep."

"And what of it?" Cairo asks dryly with a blank stare, not showing any hint of fear that she could possibly get caught.

Yufi giggles. "Can't wait for school tomorrow," she says excitedly, earning a groan from her cousin. "Come on, Cairo. It wasn't that bad today."

"Just don't forget about me when you're popular," Cairo jokes, earning another giggle from Yufi.

"Stop it. You may be my cousin, but you're more like my sister and best friend. We gotta look out for each other!"

Cairo doesn't respond. Though she shares most of Yufi's sentiments, Cairo is usually the one looking out for her. It's hardly ever a two way street, although she doesn't think it's intentional. Her phone begins to vibrate and she raises an eyebrow, wondering who it is. "Gotta go," she says before switching it over. Her heart immediately jumps when the screen displays her father at what appears to be an airport terminal.

"Uh…" She grins nervously, realizing she has been caught.

"Your babysitter alerted me that you were still up," he says with his signature serious expression.

Cairo side eyes her cracked door just as the babysitter walks by and she grunts. "Heads up, dad. We've got a squealer in the house," she mutters, trying to play off the fact that she is still up by perceiving the babysitter as an imaginary 'threat'. "I'll handle it."

Atem dims his eyes. "That's the best you could come up with…"

"Those aren't the same clothes you were wearing when you left," she takes notice of what appears to be souvenir clothes and his somewhat damp looking hair. "Strange. It didn't rain tonight. Did this dinner involve swimming or—"

"Go to bed Cairo," she can hear her mother say off the phone.

Atem glances over before putting his attention back on his daughter. "You heard her."

Cairo sighs. "Very well."

Atem hangs up the phone, shaking his head. Thanks to Mana's spell, they were able to make it to the airport just as the other passengers started to board. Things definitely didn't go as planned at dinner. In fact, it feels like things have been made worse. And with his recent display of causing the random guy to hallucinate, it only leaves Mana with more questions than she had before.

"I've seen you use the Millennium Puzzle a few times and it always seemed like you had a good grasp on it…" he recalls her saying in the park.

With him being able to successfully summon the gods and initiating penalties at will, one would think he did. But what happened earlier clearly shows that he hasn't. It's something that he has always feared. With using such a powerful item, would he lose control? Would continuous use of the puzzle expose his own flaws or weaknesses? Or perhaps his doubts of him being the holder of such a powerful item?

Telling by how things are going and how the shadows are tormenting him, it seems he would be correct.

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AN: And that's the end of another chapter! Hope you enjoyed! Leave a review!