A/N Yu-Gi-Oh doesn't belong to me, blah, blah, blah...
A/N Again, I'm sorry that I'm so delayed in posting. I know that you readers are out there (however few you are), and I'm sorry to keep you waiting. To make amends for my delay, this chapter is a bit longer than usual. Enjoy.
Safiya fought hard to hold back the tears that were threatening to stain her cheeks. "Oh Atemu, I am so glad to finally be with you once again. But part of me is afraid that I'll wake up and this will have all been a dream."
"Safiya, tell me if this is a dream." He stopped walking, and let go of her hand. Moving so that he was standing directly in front of her, he placed one arm around her waist and pulled her in close. He then weaved the other hand through her hair and brought her face close to his, his warm breath sending shivers down her spine. In return, she placed both arms on his shoulders and tangled both of her hands in his spiky hair. He closed the gap between them and placed his lips firmly on hers. She passionately returned his kiss and the two were finally able to fully greet one another.
They remained intertwined for a few minutes, until he pulled away and released her from his embrace. She did likewise, and pulled her hands out of his hair.
"No dream could make my pulse race like that. It's good to have you back, Atemu."
"It's good to have you back, too, Safiya."
They found a park bench and sat down. Atemu sat down first and laid his arm across the back of the bench. Safiya sat next to him and nestled into the crook of his arm.
They remained that way for over two hours, sitting on the park bench and talking about the past, present, and future, until finally, Atemu noticed that it was getting late. "We should probably head back home. Yugi and Jamie are probably waiting for us."
"You're right, and it is getting rather dark." She rose from the bench and he followed suit. "Just lead the way, my Lord, and I will follow." She spoke with a smile in her eye and a humble bow in her posture, knowing full well how much it irked the Pharaoh when she called him "my Lord."
He was about to scold her when he noticed the smile slowly creeping across her face. "How dare you mock me in such a manner." He playfully pushed her away and quickly pulled her back in for a quick kiss. "And unless you have any other 'words of wisdom,' I believe it is time for us to depart."
She took his hand and followed him in comfortable silence to Yugi's house.
The sounds of laughter erupted from the convertible as Tristan drove each of his friends home from the diner. They had stayed for almost two hours, tasting each other's meals, gossiping about the school-related things, getting to know Jamie, and listening to her rendition of Safiya and Atemu's story.
Since Joey's house was nearest to the diner, Tristan dropped him off first, followed by Tea. After he dropped Joey and Tea off, he headed toward the game shop to drop off Yugi and Jamie.
When he neared the shop, he pulled the vehicle right up to the curb, shut off the engine and stepped out. He then made his way over to Jamie's side to open her door for her.
"Thanks for the ride, Tristan," Yugi said, exiting the vehicle as Tristan passed him by.
Jamie did her best not to laugh as Tristan bowed slightly, opening her door for her. "Yea, thanks for everything. I had a great time."
"Hey, it was no problem," he replied, closing the door behind her. "If you ever need anything Jamie, just let me know."
She stepped up beside Yugi, and casually looked over her shoulder toward Tristan as she responded. "Be careful what you say, Tristan. I just might take you up on that offer one day."
"I look forward to it." Blush crept up his cheeks as a large smile enveloped his face. Quickly regaining his senses, he ran over to the driver's side, and in one smooth motion, leapt over the door and into his seat, started the car, revved the engine and was off.
"I think I like Tristan," Jamie announced, as soon as Tristan was gone. But when she saw the disappointed look on Yugi's face, she quickly added, "And Joey, and Tea. They seem like really nice people." Jamie smiled in spite of herself. "And you, too, Yugi. I think I like you, as well."
His countenance brightened and a grin stretched from ear to ear as he laughed. "Well, I'm glad you enjoyed yourself this evening. Tea really enjoyed your rendition of the Pharaoh's story, and I thought it was very creative how you used your salad to represent the Egyptian palace."
"I was pretty proud of myself for that, although I almost couldn't bring myself to eat it afterwards." They both laughed, recalling the elaborate replica.
A cool breeze with a hint of rain swept by, reminding Yugi that they were still outside. He quickly unlocked the shop door and stepped in. Jamie followed close behind and found herself in a small card shop. "My grandfather owns the shop," Yugi explained. "The two of us live upstairs, as does the Pharaoh."
After a few moments of silent observation, Jamie spoke quietly. "Yugi, can I ask you a personal question?"
He stopped and turned to face her. "Sure, go right ahead."
"It's okay if you don't want to answer. But I was curious. You said before that you live with your grandfather. What happened to your parents?"
He dropped his eyes to the floor. "They died in an airplane accident when I was very young. I hardly remember either one of them." He raised his violet eyes to look at her, and she saw an overwhelming sadness there.
She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Yugi, my parents also died in an accident when I was very young. I was raised by my grandmother until I was seven, when she died. The only thing she left me was the Millennium Band, which let me hook up with Safiya. We've been on the move ever since."
He paused as a realization came to him. "If you have no family, where will you stay tonight?"
"I tend not to worry about things like that. Safiya usually finds me a relatively safe and warm place to sleep. Most of the time it's been in train or bus stations, but sometimes, I'm not sure how she ever managed it, she would find me a spare cot in a kind person's home. I treasured those nights since they were few and far between. But like I said, she usually deals with that, so I'm just waiting for her to come back so we can figure something out."
"Well, we have a small guest room and you are more than welcome to spend the night here."
"Oh, I can't impose on you like that."
"Trust me, you wouldn't be imposing. It would actually help me to sleep better knowing that you're not in a train station."
"Well, if you insist." A broad smile enveloped Jamie's face as she accepted Yugi's offer.