Chapter Seven:

Yugi sighed as he finished rearranging the shop stock. After his grandfather's death, the Kame Game Shop had fallen to him, as his father had his own career. His mother helped out by accepting deliveries made after hours, keeping the shop clean, and taking the deposits to the bank, but the actual business was now in Yugi's hands. He was only grateful Grandpa had shown him all the ropes before his passing. He had had a tenuous relationship with his son, but the bond with his grandson had been as strong as steel, and he had taught Yugi everything he knew about the business. The Kame Game Shop was still doing well, even three years after his death, and remained one of the favorites of downtown Domino, though Yugi had hired a cashier to run the shop during the day while he took care of the inventory and books on nights and weekends.

"Yugi, are you almost finished?" his mother asked, coming into the shop from the door that led to the Moto family apartment. "It's almost eleven, dear."

His mother worried about him going home after dark, though Yugi was an adult. She would always be a worrier. Yugi was her only child and she was alone most of the time now that Grandpa had passed.

Yugi got to his feet and smiled at his mother. Even now, well into her forties and with her hair beginning to turn gray, she retained the same youthful looks she had always had, making her seem ten years too young to have a twenty-three-year-old son.

"I'm done, Mom. I'll be ready to go in a couple of minutes." Yugi had not told his mother about the Erica Lynch film yet. He still had a hard time grasping its reality, even though he and Joey were supposed to start Friday. He would tell her after that. "I'll see you on Saturday, ok?"

His mother smiled and walked with him to the shop's front door, waiting while he pulled on his leather jacket. The weather had begun to turn cold, and it was only a matter of time before the snow began to fall.

"You sure you don't want me driving you?"

Yugi had had to tell her about his missing keys. Joey had given him his house key, then dropped him off on his way in to work and now Yugi was taking the bus home. It stopped at the corner across the street, and would drop him off almost in front of his apartment complex. Despite this, his mother worried.

"I'm sure Mom."

"Well, okay. Good night, sweetheart." She hesitated and said, "Call me when you get home."

Yugi locked the shop door while Mrs. Moto stood watching by the window, and crossed the street to the bus stop. He had actually timed it quite well, as the bus was coming down the street that moment. He waved to his mother before climbing on and settling in for the ride home, wondering what he would do with his time until Joey got home after one. A shower and then lounging with a book sounded good about then.

At home, he unlocked the front door and turned on the sideboard table lamp, hanging his shop keys with Joey's home key very carefully on the hook, then shutting and locking the door behind him. As he passed the couch's side table, he glanced at the phone. The message machine's light was not blinking and neither was the new call light.

Yugi headed upstairs, took a moment to call his mother and let her know he was home so she could quit worrying and go to bed, and then headed into the bathroom. He undressed and threw his clothes into the hamper before stepping into the shower. The hot water sluiced down his body, fully removing the chill of the late autumn night.

Yugi took his time with his shower, enjoying the hot water, before finally turning it off and stepping out into the bathroom. He grabbed his towel and dried off, then padded naked into the bedroom, the cool air raising goosebumps along his skin despite the heater warming the apartment after it having been shut off all day after Joey had gone to work.

A glance at the clock told him it was still twenty until midnight, meaning Joey wouldn't be home for a good hour and a half. Yugi pulled on a pair of pajamas and his house slippers and robe and trotted downstairs to get a snack to eat while he read his book. In the kitchen, he flipped on the light and went to the refrigerator, pulling out some cheese and lunchmeat to make cracker sandwiches. He set the items on the counter and opened the dry foods cabinet next to the sink to grab the crackers.

A flash of movement drew his eye. He paused, still standing on his toes to reach the crackers, and looked out of the kitchen window, which looked out into the apartment complex's communal backyard. Beyond the waist-high fence that surrounded the back patio, the yard was claimed by darkness. He saw nothing out there, but the apartment complex was no stranger to feral cats and possums.

Yugi went back to his task, pulling the crackers out of the cabinet, then setting the cutting board on the counter. He pulled out the cheese slicer and set to work, when movement drew his eye again. Pausing, nervousness beginning to take over, he leaned closer to the window, straining to see beyond the scope of the light from the kitchen shining outside. Nothing.

Yugi leaned to the side and flipped on the porch light. The porch and the backyard beyond were illuminated, showing the large oak tree in back that the kids of the apartment complex played under, a tire swing hanging from one sturdy limb. He stared out at the yard for several minutes, but he still saw nothing. Off went the light and Yugi went back to making his cracker sandwiches. When he had enough on his plate, he returned the cheese and lunchmeat to the refrigerator.

Turning back around, he let out a startled yelp.

Eyes were staring in through the window.

Yugi let out a breath when he realized a cat was perched on the sill, peering in. Heart hammering, he laughed shakily, watching the cat as it shifted on its perch. It meowed-he could see its mouth move, though he couldn't hear the sound with the window closed. It pawed the screen and meowed at him again.

Yugi returned to the refrigerator and got the package of deli ham again. He went to the back door and unlatched it, pulling it open and flipping on the porch light again as he stepped out onto the porch. The cat remained on the sill, watching him warily. Yugi smiled at it and sat down on the threshold step, opening the package. He pulled out a slice and began tearing it into pieces, tossing a piece onto the ground under the sill. The cat stared down at it, looked at him, then jumped to the ground and snuck to the piece of meat, wolfing it. Yugi tossed another piece, a little closer to himself. The cat moved closer and wolfed it, too. It was an adult, brown and white, with bright yellow eyes. There was no collar and it was thin, meaning it was surely one of the local feral cats.

Yugi tossed more ham to the cat, knowing that he was probably setting himself up for having it come back, begging for food. He didn't care. He couldn't leave it out here going hungry.

When he was done throwing it ham, he stood up and went back inside. He grabbed a plastic bowl from the cabinet and filled it with water, setting it on the corner of the porch for the cat to drink from, then closed the door and returned the rest of the ham to the refrigerator and the crackers to the cabinet. He felt silly being so scared by a cat on the sill.

He took the plate of cracker sandwiches and a glass of raspberry tea up to the bedroom, setting both on the side table and climbing into bed. It was a quarter after midnight.

Yugi was engrossed in his book, more than half done with his cracker sandwiches, when noise in the hall drew his attention. He glanced at the clock, seeing that it was only one. Joey would only have been getting off work at this time; he had a half hour commute home.

"Joey? Is that you?"

Nothing but another soft rustle. It would have been impossible to hear if the apartment hadn't been so quiet. Yugi set his book down, looking at the empty doorway.

"Joey?"

Yugi crept out of bed, hesitating by the edge. Another soft rustle came from the hallway. Heart beginning to hammer again, Yugi edged toward the doorway, calling for Joey again.

"Joey, if that's you, and you're playing another joke on me, I'm leaving you."

Nothing met this untrue declaration. Yugi reached to the dresser and grabbed the reproduction of an Isis statue Yami had given him for his birthday a couple years ago. He would hate to destroy it, but it felt good to have a weapon in his hand. He went to the doorway, holding the Isis statue tightly, and stepped into the hall.

The cat hissed at him. Yugi stared down at it, shocked. "How'd you get in?"

The cat ran back down the hall and down the stairs. Yugi followed after it, back into the kitchen, where it ran through the opening of the ajar kitchen door outside. Yugi set the Isis statue on the counter and went to the door. He must not have closed it properly and the cat had pawed at it until it opened enough for it to get in. He shut it and locked it, starting to get annoyed. Why was he so jumpy lately?

It was the prank calls, of course.

Yugi sighed and grabbed the Isis statue, heading upstairs. He returned it to the dresser, then climbed back into the bed, but he didn't much feel like reading anymore.

Joey got home at the predicted time. Yugi felt better when he heard Joey calling him from downstairs and he got up, heading down to greet him.

"Hi, Spiky," Joey said happily, wrapping an arm around his waist and planting a kiss on his mouth. "How was your day?"

"Fine. I got all the stock inventoried and sorted, finally."

"Ugh. Well, work was fine. Except Brandon didn't show up again. I bet he's fired."

"It would serve him right."

Joey followed Yugi upstairs to their room. He walked into the bathroom for a quick shower to wash off the day's grime, then joined Yugi in bed, dressed in his own pajamas. He finished off the cracker sandwiches Yugi hadn't eaten, laughing when Yugi told him about the cat coming into the apartment.

"Yami sure would approve of you feeding it," he remarked.

Yami, no surprise, loved cats. But Kaiba was allergic and probably wouldn't have wanted one in the house even if he wasn't. Joey always promised Yami he'd get him a dozen kittens every birthday and Christmas within earshot of Kaiba, just to annoy him. Kaiba always retaliated that dogs were supposed to hate cats, which in turn started another shouting match.

"One of these days, I'm just going to get every cat and kitten from the shelter and sneak them into Kaiba's office, their bedroom, his sock drawer…"

Yugi giggled.

"I can't wait for Friday," Joey went on happily. Then he looked at Yugi sideways. "You know… Yug', if you want to change your mind, I'm not gonna be mad."

"I know, but this is important to you."

"Yeah, but… Hell, I've been kind of stupid about it. Not asking you at all. You don't have to do it."

Yugi smiled and kissed him. "I want to, 'cause you want to. Isn't that what couples are supposed to do?"

Joey grinned. "That's way mushy." Yugi punched his shoulder. Joey winced, rubbing the spot. "Okay, that's more masculine."

"Jerk."

"You knew that when you moved in with me. So, you're really okay with this? You're really going to do it?"

"Yeah."

Joey grinned again and kissed him. "Thanks, Yug'. I'd say you can choose something I don't want to do and I'll do it with you, but there's never anything you want to do that I don't want to do with you."

"Now who's being mushy?"

Joey laughed, kissed him again, then leaned over him to turn out the light. "Do you mind if Tristan comes to watch us film?" he asked. "He was really jealous when I told him, and he asked if he could come watch. I think Tea wanted to come, too."

The idea of trying to perform in front of cameras already gave Yugi butterflies, but the idea of trying to do it in front of his friends as well was almost too much to bear. Still, he nodded. He couldn't say no. "Of course. Did you tell them it was on Friday?"

"I will after breakfast tomorrow. I haven't told Serenity anything about the movie yet. She's so busy with college and her job, that I don't think she'd have time to come watch anyway, and I don't want her thinking she has to. Think Yami will come watch?"

Yugi hadn't told his dark half any new details about the movie, but he knew he would update him. "He might."

"I wonder how many of us will bite it?"

Yugi really wished Joey wouldn't speak as if they were their characters. The thought gave him the creeps. It was if they really were being set up for slaughter.

tbc...