Author's Note: Super-special awesome thanks to my beta readers Dragondancer5150 and KittChaos! (Yes, we all managed to miss the two times I called Atem "Yami" in this chapter, but the final fault is mine. The problem has been fixed. Thanks to the eagle-eyed readers who pointed the mistake out to me.)

Chapter 6

The next morning, Yugi sat propped against a small mountain of fluffy pillows he was quite sure had not been there when he went to bed, and blinked at the breakfast tray that had materialized across his lap. The tray was loaded with more kinds of breakfast foods than he had ever seen in one place outside of an all-you-can-eat buffet. He squinted blearily at Atem. "Does this mean you slept well? Because you seem to be in an awfully good mood this morning…"

Standing beside Yugi's bed, Atem shrugged. "I dozed. Perhaps for as long as half an hour."

Forkful of pancake halfway to his mouth, Yugi paused. "Genies don't sleep?"

Atem opened his mouth… then hesitated. He looked thoughtful. "You know, if you had asked me that yesterday, I would have said no."

But he claimed to have "dozed" the night before, so… "Don't you know?"

Atem looked annoyed. "How would I know? I have never been in the physical world long enough for it to matter."

Oh. Yugi kept forgetting about that aspect of the genie's reality. To cover his embarrassment, Yugi stuffed the bite of pancake into his mouth and chewed. After a few seconds of industrious masticating, a new question occurred to him. "So, if you didn't really sleep… What did you do all night?"

The expression that stole across Atem's face made Yugi wonder if he really wanted to know the answer. His hands clenched in the sheets. "Oh, god. What did you do?"

"Once the night grew quiet, I found I could move farther from your side. So, I explored the house for a bit."

"You went downstairs?" Yugi found Atem's nod reassuring. The thought of the genie spending the night watching him sleep had been weighing on Yugi's mind. "Did you watch TV?"

"No." Atem's lip curled in obvious distaste. He hesitated, then, in a soft voice, admitted, "I have not had the freedom to do as I choose in… a very long time. For several hours, I made offerings for my family's kau and simply thought about those I've lost. Afterward, I found a book about exotic foods on one of your shelves and created a feast so that I could sample all the tastes." He looked away, clearly uncomfortable with revealing so much of himself. "To be honest, I spent most of the night grooming my horses."

"Oh, well, that's nice." Then the import of that sentence sank in and Yugi gaped at the genie. "Did you just say you had a horse in my house?"

"I was a charioteer," Atem said, deadpan expression unwavering. "When your life depends on your chariot team, you learn to take better care of them than you do of yourself. I… miss them."

Yugi chewed on that for a second, but one thing kept sticking in his mental craw. "You had a horse in my house?"

"No."

Yugi started to relax. Somehow, he'd misunderstood. "Oh. Well-"

"I had two horses in your house."

"Two horses!"

"I said it was my chariot team." Atem returned Yugi's glare, with interest. He really was much better at it than Yugi. "Two horses are required to pull an Egyptian chariot. You are an archaeologist, are you not? Shouldn't you know these things?"

"Well, excuse me for not thinking anyone would have a chariot team in my living room!"

"I cleaned up after them."

"There were horses in my house all night!"

"I restored everything to its pre-horse condition," Atem snapped. "If I had not told you, you would never have known they were there."

There is a reason ignorance is bliss. As much as Yugi tried not to picture a pair of chariot horses prancing - and doing other, more elemental things - on his living room carpet, the image simply wouldn't go away. He groaned. He shouldn't be expected to deal with this sort of thing before noon, especially not without copious amounts of coffee.

With a supreme effort of will, Yugi shifted mental gears. "So. A feast, huh? How do you not weigh 500 pounds? I mean, you scarfed down a whole pizza by yourself, you practically cleaned out the candy counter at the theater, and now you're having one-man feasts in the night. Joey'll eat anything that's not nailed down and doesn't actively try to eat him first, but even he has a stopping point. How can you eat so much and not gain an ounce?"

"I don't need food any more than I need sleep." Atem winked and stole a strawberry from Yugi's tray. "I just enjoy the taste."

"You don't get hungry?"

"No. Conversely, I never feel full, either."

"Huh." Yugi lifted a small juice glass and took a sip of the dark red liquid inside. He blinked and shot a surprised look at the genie. "That's really good. What is it?"

"Pomegranate juice." Atem smiled. "I'm glad you like it."

When Yugi emptied the glass in one gulp, it refilled itself as the beer pitcher had the night before. He took another drink before turning back to his pancakes.

Atem watched him eat. "Have you given any more thought to your wishes?"

Mouth full of pancake, Yugi frowned at the genie. After a quick chew-and-swallow, he asked, "Have you changed you mind? You want me to hurry, after all?"

"No! I'm simply… curious. I've never had a master who couldn't think of at least one wish right away."

"Huh. Did your previous masters know what they were getting into by solving the puzzle?"

"Not at first, I suppose. But after a time, I found that legends had grown up around the puzzle - and me. So, my later masters knew what solving the puzzle would bring them." Atem cocked his head. "Why?"

"I thought the puzzle was a tourist souvenier."

"You mean…?"

"I had no idea genies were even real! I was just… passing the time until my new assistant showed up to help with the Inventory from Hell." Yugi waved a hand. "And, instead, I got you."

Atem's composure shattered, and he gaped at Yugi. "You- Passing the time?"

"Uh, yeah. Sorry."

Atem huffed in a now-I've-heard-of-everything kind of way and shook his head. "In that case, I suppose it shouldn't be too surprising you can't think of a wish."

"Well…" A slow smile spread over Yugi's face. "As it happens, I have thought of one."

The ease fled from Atem's posture. His expression settling into its former mask, he straightened. "I await your command, O master."

While Atem's reaction bothered Yugi - it seemed odd after their relaxed conversation - he was too excited about having come up with the perfect wish to dwell on it. Pushing the tray aside, he swung his legs over the side of the bed. "It would be easiest to show you what I want. Give me a minute to shower and dress, and I'll take you to-" A sudden notion struck him. "Um. Would you like a shower?"

"With you?"

Yugi was surprised he didn't spontaneously combust from the heat of the look Atem gave him.

"No!" Yugi yelped, flushing as the image of a very wet (and very naked) genie flashed through his brain. No, no. Mustn't go there. Why not? Yugi's libido wailed. You know you want to. Look at him! And he practically offered - you wouldn't even have to use a wish!

Argh. Yugi gulped and wrestled his hormones under control. "I just - I mean, you keep saying you want to experience- I thought real water- Oh, forget it." He buried his face in his hands. "Just forget it."

Gentle hands cupped his, urging them away from his face. Sheepish, Yugi looked up into Atem's warm gaze. "I thank you for your generosity. It would be wonderful to feel water on my skin after so long."

"Oh. Okay," Yugi murmured, captivated by the soft smile on Atem's lips. "You can go first. There are clean towels on the rack behind the bathroom door."

Atem started toward the bathroom, then glanced back over his shoulder. "You're certain?"

"It's just a shower." Yugi grinned at the anticipation he could see dancing in Atem's eyes. "Go on, already. I'll finish my breakfast while I wait."

Returning the grin, Atem disappeared into the bathroom across the hall.

Yugi really had intended to eat. But Atem left both the bedroom and the bathroom doors open so he could hear if Yugi called (or had a spontaneous wish attack or something) and the bathroom mirror was perfectly aligned to show Yugi a spectacular view of the genie's nude body - broad shoulders, lean torso, and perfect backside - as he stepped into the shower. Frozen with his fork poised at his lips, Yugi promptly forgot all about breakfast. He barely remembered to breathe. The fork dropped from Yugi's fingers, his brain stuttering to a halt as all the blood in his body raced farther south.

Oh. My. God. The few brain cells Yugi possessed that were still capable of doing anything other than imagining pressing himself up against that gloriously naked body informed him that, when his turn came, he'd have to crank the shower as cold as it could go. Did the tap have an arctic glacier setting? He'd need it.

It took almost a full minute before he realized the persistent ringing noise wasn't his floundering brain, but the front doorbell. With a groan, Yugi slid off the bed, threw on his battered flannel housecoat, and limped downstairs as fast as… circumstances… allowed.

When he opened the door, his next-door-neighbor beamed at him.

Her gaze skimmed over his attire and tousled appearance. She cocked an eyebrow and drawled, "Sorry to get you out of bed, hon." Only Mai Valentine could make such an innocent sentence sound so lascivious.

"That's okay." Yugi tugged his robe closer. "Did you need something?"

She leaned against the doorframe and frowned at him. "This is going to sound strange, but… It's Valon."

Instantly, Yugi's mild irritation transmuted to concern. "Your boyfriend? Is something wrong?"

"I'm not sure. He swears he saw your car vanish into thin air last night."

Uh-oh. Yugi thought fast. "Um, no offense, but - Had he, maybe, been drinking?"

"Probably." She grimaced. "And, if that were the only thing, I wouldn't even be over here, but…"

Yugi tensed.

"Apparently, it kept bugging him, so he came over here last night - sometime after midnight, he says - just to see if he had imagined the whole thing."

"And?" He wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer.

"The car was in the garage."

Yugi started to relax.

"But then, he says he saw the whole house… change."

Yugi tensed up again.

"According to Valon, the front of the house expanded somehow." Mai's brow was furrowing, in that not-quite-a-frown way she had of trying to avoid wrinkles. "I know how crazy this all sounds, Yugi, but he swears the house got bigger and then he heard… animal sounds… coming from inside."

Yugi resisted the urge to cringe. "Uh, what kind of animal sounds… exactly?"

Mai opened her mouth to tell him - and froze that way, her jaw hanging open as she stared at something over his shoulder. Even before he heard the deep voice shout "Master Mutou!" from the stairway behind him, Yugi's sense of impending doom returned. Oh, no…

Pivoting slowly, he watched a certain genie thunder down the stairs, clad only in a few inadequate soap bubbles and an aura of righteous indignation.

"Which part of 'I must remain within reach of your voice' do you not comprehend?" Atem stalked toward them, his exasperated gaze locked on his master. He was clearly upset - and ill-supplied in the clothing department.

Beside Yugi, Mai "meeped" and smothered a giggle. Yugi would've been more worried about her reaction, but he was too busy absorbing the sight of Atem - a completely, deliciously nude Atem - descending on them like a glistening, angry, (nude!) god. Water droplets gleamed on the genie's bare skin. Helpless to do otherwise, Yugi followed the path of one droplet as it traced a path over lean, well-defined abdominal muscles, past the dip of Atem's navel, and -

"Yugi Mutou!" Mai's scolding voice yanked Yugi's attention away from Atem (who was, as Yugi's stunned libido could well atest, oh-my-god nude!). "You've been holding out on me. You should be ashamed of yourself."

Still staring at Atem, who seemed quite oblivious to his nudity and their reactions to it, Yugi licked his suddenly dry lips. Arms folded over his bare chest, Atem regarded him with an impatient frown and a raised eyebrow. Mai prodded him in the ribs.

"Well, I guess I know why you were still in bed," she said, with another laugh. "So, tell me. Who is this gorgeous hunk of manhood - and where have you been hiding him?"

For one brief moment, Yugi considered using a token to wish the last few minutes had never happened. He scrubbed one hand over his face and took a calming breath before making the introductions. "Mai Valentine, Atem-"

"Sahnehsoo." Atem's bare feet whispered over the carpet as he stepped forward to take Mai's hand. A second passed before Yugi - blinking in astonishment over the invented surname - realized that Atem had acquired black jeans and a white chambray shirt, left open to reveal a tantalizing expanse of tanned chest, as he crossed the foyer. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Ms. Valentine."

"Oh, the pleasure's all mine, gorgeous," Mai purred. Her gaze swept over him and her not-frown returned. "You know, I could've sworn you were naked just a moment ago-"

"Must have been a trick of the light!" Yugi blurted.

Mai cut her eyes toward him. "You didn't see him? He wasn't wearing a stitch!"

"I'm sure I would've noticed if Atem were naked," Yugi said, which was nothing but the truth. Certain parts of him hadn't stopped noticing, even though the genie was now fully clothed. "Are you feeling okay, Mai?"

"I guess I have been under a lot of stress, lately." Mai was a casino dealer on a cruise ship, and this was their busy season. "Maybe I'm seeing things."

"You probably just need to get some rest." Yugi hated himself for lying to her, but he couldn't tell her the truth. He gently ushered Mai back across the threshold. "Maybe you should go take a nap."

"You're probably right…" She seemed more befuddled than simple shock could account for. Yugi cast a suspicious look at the genie, who smirked at him. Peachy. Now Yugi could add "mesmerizing the neighbors" to the list of Atem's magical misdemeanors. "I'll see you later, Yugi."

"Okay. Take care!"

Once they were alone and the front door safely closed, Yugi rounded on Atem. "How can one person cause so much disruption in such a short time? Is it some special talent that only genies have?"

"Me?" Atem gaped at him. "I'm not the one who keeps ignoring the rules."

"Oh, you are so not making this my fault!"

"Were you not the one who wandered off while I was taking a shower - a shower, I remind you, that you suggested." The genie's scowl darkened. "I have explained-"

"Look, you… you… Look! I didn't ask for a genie to pop into my life and complicate everything. I was fine. Sure, I had a few problems - who doesn't? But I was coping, getting by." Yugi rammed both hands into his hair and hung on, as if he needed an anchor. "Then you show up and suddenly I've got an impossible inventory, friends who think I'm having an affair, chariot horses in my living room, and a neighbor who thinks she's losing her mind because one minute you're stark naked and the next you're not. How am I, directly or otherwise, benefiting from this?"

"The shower was your idea." Atem remained stubborn on that point.

"I'm pretty sure I didn't also suggest you wander downstairs in your birthday suit!" Yugi advanced on the genie. He had to stand on tip-toe, a precarious maneuver because of his leg, to get in Atem's face. "At some point, I am supposed to actually benefit from your presence, right? Or do you just create so many problems your masters are happy when you finally go away?"

Power flared around Atem. Sparks literally crackled from his fingertips and the ends of his hair, which had spiked up as it dried. "Most normal people are glad to have a genie around."

Yugi's eyes widened, then narrowed. In a dangerous voice, he grated, "How am I not 'normal'?"

"Where do I begin? How about the fact that you don't believe in magic, for starters!" Atem shot back without hesitation.

"What?"

"What?"

Anger derailed by Atem's unexpected answer, Yugi blinked up at him. "…The only reason you think I'm not normal is because I don't believe in magic?"

"No, there's also your inexplicable reticence when it comes to making wishes." Atem glared down at him. "But since I'm benefiting from the delay, I'm prepared to overlook that one."

Oh. Well. Yugi didn't know what to say to that. Atem was obviously aware of Yugi's shorter leg - even if Yugi hadn't made it a point to tell him, the genie had made solicitous gestures more than once in order to spare Yugi pain, though he hadn't made a fuss about it. Atem didn't seem to find Yugi's leg, or his height, worthy of comment. Like a lot of things that happened around Atem, this, too, was a novel experience for Yugi.

"Oh." It was hard to hold onto his outrage in the face of Atem's explanation. "You know what? Let's just forget about it. Okay?"

"Fine." Seeming more frustrated than angry, Atem was so tense Yugi could've bounced quarters off him. "Shall we proceed to this fabled first wish of yours?"

"Good idea." Yugi raked his fingers through his hair and wondered how long it would take him to get ready. Then he remembered - genie. "Okay, forget what I said before. Give me one of those magic shave-and-showers, and I'd like my khaki cargo pants and the green polo shirt from my closet."

He had barely finished speaking before he was clean, coiffed, and clad in the requested clothing, including a pair of loafers with his usual built-up sole. The genie could be taught! About some things, anyway. "Thanks. But say 'alakazam,' damn it!"

"Alakazamdammit."

Yugi stared at the deadpan expression on Atem's face - and then laughed, the tension draining from his shoulders as he snickered. Atem's lips twitched, but he maintained his otherwise stoic mask. Yugi shook his head and went to get his car keys from the peg in the kitchen.

Atem followed. "We're going somewhere?"

"Yeah. I figure it'll be easier to show you what I want rather than trying to explain it."

"Very well." Atem was staring rather fixedly at the keys dangling from Yugi's fingers. "There is no need for you to drive. I could simply transport us-"

"No!" Yugi took a deep, calming breath. "No. Thanks. If we just beam-in out of nowhere, somebody's bound to have a heart attack - probably me." Yugi's brain finally caught up with something Atem had said earlier. "Hang on a minute. Did you tell Mai your last name was 'sanesu'?"

"Yes."

Yugi blinked at him. "You actually told her your name was 'son of the king'? What are you, nuts?"

"It seemed highly unlikely that Ms. Valentine would understand the ancient Egyptian language, master. Unlike yourself."

"Parents," Yugi said, by way of explanation. Then both of his eyebrows climbed into his hairline. "Wait. You were… making a joke?" A joke Atem had known only Yugi would get.

Atem just looked smug and refused to answer. His gaze drifted back to the keys in Yugi's hand.

Yugi held up an admonishing finger. "Oh, no. It may not look like much, but my car runs, gets good gas mileage, and is paid for. There is no way in hell I'm letting you drive it!"

Atem drew himself up to his full height. "I'll have you know I was an excellent charioteer."

"Like that translates to automobiles." Yugi snorted. "No. No way. Just get that thought right out of your mind. Pigs will fly before I let you drive!"