Atemu's Promise

"…which is why my daughter-in-law is taking my grandson to live with his new father." Sugoroku sighed as he finished his story, and Atemu could see a flicker of pain in his eyes. "Maybe you'll meet him someday."

Atemu shifted around in the foreign car seat, watching in fascination as the trees whizzed by. A strangely-shaped button under the window caught his eye and he pressed down on it, shrinking back in fear as the glass began to lower itself. The icy wind wasn't nearly as welcoming as the Egyptian sun, and he fumbled with the newly discovered control to close the window. As the glass rose back up, he could hear the old man chuckling in amusement. He quickly wiped the shock off his face as he turned back to the scenery outside.

For a moment, it was silent again. The car decelerated as it turned the exit, only to find itself on another highway that looked just like the last. Sugoroku yawned and leaned back on his seat, watching Atemu's eyes glowed in wonder each time the car passed by something new, swinging his bare feet above the car floor. Smiling peacefully, the old man closed his eyes.

"Your grandson… What's his name?" Atemu murmured.

"Yuugi," Sugoroku replied tiredly. "It means 'game' in Japanese."

Atemu blinked and turned to face the old man. "That's a strange name."

"It is, but it suits him well."

Suddenly, houses and fences began to appear on the side of the road. The afternoon sun illuminated the grey smoke in the sky. Looking ahead, Atemu could catch a glimpse of the shimmering lights in the distance. Hoping to see more, he stood and leaned over the front seat of the car. The driver didn't seem too happy about this as he harshly uttered something Atemu couldn't understand and swatted at the boy's head with one hand.

From behind, Sugoroku grabbed Atemu's new robe and dragged him back into the seat. "Be patient, Atemu. We're almost there."

"I'm sorry," Atemu whispered, staring intently out the window. "But I never thought… those photographs of cities were real."

The car suddenly came to a stop, and Atemu lowered the window, leaning outside of the car. Ahead of them, he could see even more cars passing by. The dark roads were not covered with sand, but smoothly paved. The people on the streets were all cleanly dressed with expensive-looking handbags at their sides. And the houses… they were like the houses seen on magazine covers.

As the car began to move again, Atemu fell back into his seat, his eyes still glued to a small child holding the hem of his mother's sleeve with one hand and a leash with a dog at the end with another. His heart raced at the thought of his own family, people he could love and live for. And perhaps one day, he could become successful in this unfair world…

Tall buildings now surrounded them, and as the sky darkened, the headlights of the cars around them began to flicker on. Sugoroku gently placed a hand on the boy's small shoulder, pointing to the most magnificent building of them all. "That's the headquarters of Kaiba Corporation. The richest man alive works in there. He designs most of the world's greatest technological weapons."

"What does he do with all the money he makes?" Atemu asked.

Sugoroku laughed. "Why, he builds more buildings, of course. Or he donates to certain organizations. Either way, it benefits his income or reputation. That's the way life works."

From the tone of the old man's voice, it was hard for Atemu to tell whether or not Sugoroku was kidding, but he hoped it was a joke. He watched silently as the car made a turn at the corner and came to a stop at a cozy-looking house with an odd design. A large metal sign above the door was written in a language Atemu couldn't understand, most likely Japanese.

"We're here," Sugoroku announced cheerfully. "I hope you like the house."

For a moment, Atemu stared dazedly at the strange house before his lips broke into a smile. "It looks wonderful."

"First thing we'll do is get you something to eat," Sugoroku said, leading the barefooted boy into the house through the glass doors. It made the old man want to kneel down and take the boy into his arms as Atemu gazed around at the various colorful objects on the shelves. It almost seemed as if the boy had finally found his haven. "This is the game shop I run," Sugoroku explained. "The house is further inside."

Before Sugoroku could even stick his key into the lock, a petite woman opened the door. "Oh!" she exclaimed. "You came home earlier than you said you would."

Sugoroku's eyes widened in surprise. "Kyoko, I thought you left with Yuugi for your new house last week."

"I actually came here to ask you a favor," she said quickly. "I have to leave tomorrow morning and want you to take good care of Yuugi. My new husband isn't very fond of him."

Atemu listened to all of this curiously, and although he couldn't understand a word they were saying, he could tell it wasn't good news just by the look on Sugoroku's face. The woman hadn't noticed him yet, and he stood back a little further, just to make sure she wouldn't notice him.

"No," Sugoroku said firmly. "Yuugi needs you with him. You can't just drop him off here and leave. You have to find a way to explain to your husband that Yuugi needs a proper family."

Kyoko's expression suddenly darkened. "You're not my father anymore," she whispered shakily. "And if you don't take Yuugi in, I'll just have to send him to a foster home because my husband doesn't want him in the house. And that's something neither of us want to happen."

Sugoroku shook his head sadly. "Where is he?" he asked.

"He's inside," Kyoko answered sharply. "So you'll take him?"

"I…" Sugoroku paused. "I'll think about it. But two boys might be a bit too much."

Kyoko raised her eyebrow in confusion. "Two boys? Who's the other boy?"

"Atemu?" Sugoroku turned around to find Atemu nowhere in sight. "Where are you?" he called in Arabic, searching around the shop. "Come out so Kyoko can meet you." He smiled as he found Atemu crouched behind the counter, looking through a kaleidoscope in wonder.

Atemu placed the kaleidoscope back where he found it before obediently walking out from his hiding place.

Kyoko suddenly gasped, backing into the wall in disgust. "What is that?" she shrieked, pointing a trembling finger in Atemu's direction. "He's absolutely repulsive! There is no way my son is living with that… that thing!"

Shamefully, Atemu lowered his eyes and turned away. Did he really look as terrible as the woman seemed to think he was?

"Don't talk about him that way," Sugoroku said sternly. "He's a gentle boy. He'll be fine once he eats something decent and takes a bath. I'm sure he'd make a great friend for Yuugi."

"Well," Kyoko said, containing herself, "I don't want him anywhere near Yuugi, and if you don't take him somewhere else by tomorrow morning, I will take Yuugi home with me and my husband will send our son to his new parents. And keep him off the floor I just cleaned." Without another word, she stomped into the house.

Frowning in frustration, Sugoroku picked out a pair of slippers for Atemu and took him into the living room. "Stay here," he ordered. "I'll be back in a moment, after I have a talk with Kyoko." He left the room, his footsteps echoing the spacious house.

The room was enormous, with several leather couches and a television. A chandelier hung from the ceiling, filling the room with shimmering lights.

And curled up on the corner of one of the couches was the most beautiful and realistic-looking doll Atemu had ever seen, gazing at him with those large amethyst eyes. It was wearing an outfit of soft blue material and holding one of those stuffed bears Atemu had seen children carrying around before. Suddenly, the doll blinked and turned away shyly, a lovely shade of pink spreading across its cheeks.

Atemu inhaled sharply as he realized the doll was a real boy, with silky curls of blond bangs kissing the milky skin. He had the urge to reach out and touch the boy, just to feel if he was as soft as he looked. Almost afraid he would scare the other boy away, Atemu cautiously made his way over to the couch until they were nearly face-to-face.

"Murhuba," Atemu murmured.

The boy blinked again and wiggled his little toes childishly, but he didn't respond. Nor did he back away.

Atemu desperately wanted to offer the boy something, or at least sit down next to him, but he didn't want his dirty robes to rub off on the couch. Feeling a little downhearted, he decided to walk around the room and see what he could find.

Several familiar objects immediately stood out: there were traditional Egyptian vases in each corner of the room and ancient Egyptian paintings were framed and hung all over the room. But a silver picture frame above the fireplace caught his attention. It was a photograph of a family, and Atemu immediately recognized the woman who answered the door as one of them. Next to her was a man who appeared to be Sugoroku, only with red hair and blond bangs.

That must be his son, Atemu thought sadly, running a hand through his own hair. No wonder I caught his attention in the market.

In the woman's arms was a little baby with shining violet eyes and large red and blond curls. It was undoubtedly the same boy as the one sitting on the couch behind him, Sugoroku's grandson… Yuugi.

As Atemu turned around, he found Yuugi still peeking curiously at him from behind his stuffed bear. This time, Atemu managed a weak little wave.

And was rewarded with a sweet smile that warmed him from head to toe.

"I see you've found my grandson," Sugoroku said, standing at the doorway. "He's usually so quiet, our guests never notice him until I point him out. It turns out his mother wants me to take care of him, so…" The old man trailed off, unsure of how to continue. "Yuugi isn't as strong as other boys his age," he finally said in a low voice, even though Yuugi wouldn't be able to understand them anyway. "And his mother is concerned about having another boy in the house…"

Atemu looked down at his slippers uncomfortably. "I understand, sir. It's all right if you can just leave me on the streets. I really appreciate you bringing me to such a great city. Honestly."

"But I can't do that," Sugoroku said regretfully. "There are places for homeless children to live in Japan, and it's required for you to stay with the other children there. But you'll be able to go to school and eat three meals a day."

"Really?" Atemu asked in disbelief. "I can go to school? That's already more than I could hope for."

Sugoroku sighed in relief. "Okay, then. We'll leave for the orphanage tomorrow morning. I'm really sorry you can't live with my grandson and I, but you'll be able to see him in school. I…I'm sorry, Atemu. I wish you could stay with us…"

"You've already done all you could for me," Atemu said cheerfully. "Thank you."

"Well…" Sugoroku began, "I'm glad you're taking this so well. You can play games with Yuugi until Kyoko finishes making dinner. Don't be offended if he doesn't talk to you. He's naturally shy. And feel free to explore the house." He left quietly, closing the living room door behind him.

Atemu glanced at Yuugi again, but the boy wasn't there anymore. Looking around, he found Yuugi at the foot of the stairs, the large eyes still turned in his direction. In less than a second, the boy's tiny feet carried him up the stairs and out of sight. Was he running away?

Or did he want Atemu to follow?

Atemu stared at the polished wooden steps for a moment before making his way up the stairs. There were at least three doors at the top, but Yuugi had apparently left his door open, revealing a clean white room. Even the furniture was painted white. Boxes of toys were neatly piled up on one side of the room. On the other side was a small comfortable bed with clean white sheets, and sitting in the middle was Yuugi, still clutching his stuffed bear to his chest and watching Atemu closely.

Awkwardly, Atemu managed to open one of the toy boxes. Inside was another box containing small colorful plastic blocks, each with the same shape. Atemu reached in and pulled out two of them, snapping the pieces together. Never had he come across such convenient building blocks, one that wouldn't easily fall apart.

He could feel Yuugi's eyes on him. But it wasn't an uncomfortable kind of feeling. It made him feel important and worthwhile. Reaching into the box again, he pulled out another few pieces and snapped them together neatly. Maybe Yuugi would like it if he built something for him. He grinned at the thought, taking out the cardboard box and carefully placing it down on the floor.

Squatting above the floor so he wouldn't dirty the white carpet, Atemu began building. First, he made a bench big enough for both Yuugi and his teddy bear to sit on. Then, he made a sturdy little table and even took the time to make the edges rounded. And all this time, Yuugi sat wordlessly on his bed, his eyes glowing delightfully as the exotic new boy made his last finishing touches on the table.

Atemu admired his own handiwork for a moment before turning to see Yuugi's reaction. The warm feeling returned as Yuugi gave him another faint smile, just as lovely as the last one. Taking a deep breath, Atemu walked over to the bed and slowly reached for the boy's soft and pale hand. But he hesitated as his eyes landed on his own dark and grubby one, and he quickly pulled away before their hands could touch.

Just as he was about to leave Yuugi alone, a tiny warm hand landed on his arm, and he turned to find Yuugi's sad eyes searching his own.

"Arigatou," Yuugi whispered.

And Atemu nearly melted on the spot. He would suddenly have done anything to hear the same melodic voice again. Gently, he led the smaller boy over to the bench and motioned for him to sit. Yuugi blushed as he lowered himself onto the new bench and sat his stuffed bear next to him, his eyes never leaving Atemu's face.

Swallowing nervously, Atemu tried to think of what to do next.

It took him a moment to realize Yuugi had taken his hand in both his own and was pressing it lovingly against those smooth porcelain cheeks. And someone was coming upstairs. Atemu hoped to God it wasn't Yuugi's mother.

His fears were confirmed when a harsh palm came in contact with his arm, violently slapping his hand away from Yuugi's face.

Atemu lowered his head as the woman continued to hit him and yell at him in a foreign language, but made no effort to shrink away. Instead, he stood silently in place, holding back a wince each time the woman struck his arm. From the corner of his eye, he could see that Yuugi was still sitting on the bench and crying silently, wiping his tears away with a sleeve.

Suddenly, the yelling seemed to be redirected at someone else. Looking up, Atemu realized Sugoroku was pulling Yuugi's mother away. He bit his lip and wrapped his arms around himself, feeling unwanted. But when he glanced at Yuugi again, he found the boy's eyes hadn't left him.

- - -

Atemu wrapped the warm sheets tighter around himself. For the first time in his life, he could feel clean and sleep on a full stomach. His bath had left him warm and comfortable. Yuugi was still gazing at him sleepily from the other side of the room, buried under the fluffy covers. Atemu responded with a smile. Sugoroku must have somehow convinced Yuugi's mother to let him sleep in Yuugi's room.

The door lightly swung open and Yuugi's mother walked in, sitting down at the edge of Yuugi's bed. She tenderly brushed her son's curls from his face and pressed her lips against his forehead before walking out of the room and closing the door behind her.

A lump formed in Atemu's throat for the first time he could remember. He could feel his heart pounding rapidly against his chest as he sank his face into his pillow. For a long time, he remained in the same position, allowing his tears to slide onto the soft fabric.

He froze as a familiar hand lightly fell upon his shoulder.

"Daijoubu?" the soft voice asked. "Yami?"

Reluctantly, Atemu turned around and sat up. He could hardly see Yuugi's face in the dark, but he could hear the concern in the boy's voice. Suddenly, Yuugi reached up and cupped Atemu's tear-stained cheeks with both his hands.

"Yami…" A pair of soft lips brushed against Atemu's forehead. "…oyasumi."

Atemu has heard stories of falling in love, but never did he know this was what love felt like. Suddenly, everything seemed worthwhile; he had a reason to live. And he secretly promised himself that he would do whatever it took to make Yuugi happy.

- - -

Murhuba (Arabic) - hello

Arigatou (Japanese) - thank you

Daijoubu (Japanese) - all right (question: are you all right?)

Oyasumi (Japanese) - good night

Note: Wow… What a long chapter. I'm not even going to bother looking it over for mistakes. Maybe later. So much fluff, so much angst. I hope I successfully made Yami seem like a brave and smart little boy. And Yuugi into a loving and compassionate little boy. Hehehe. It's almost midnight, and I'm tired, so nothing special for the author's note today.

Yuugi - Awwwww, you suck.

Lanlan - Yes, sadly, I know.

Yami - Hey, I want to say something.

Lanlan - Okay, you just did. Good night, everyone! Or good morning, or whatever, depending on where you live.

Please review. It makes me happy to know people are actually reading my fanfics. Thank you. =]