I Guess You Don't Entirely Suck
Yugi sat at Atem's kitchen island with a contented smile on his face as he watched his lover expertly work the stove. He chuckled and blushed when Atem turned to gaze at him, giving him a playful wink.
"You don't have to cook, Pharaoh. You've been the perfect host. We can just go to a family restaurant or something," he murmured, staring down at the granite countertop.
He didn't want to sound ungrateful, but he felt strange having someone cook for him. The last time anyone bothered to cook Yugi breakfast was years ago. He remembered when Te'a used to make an effort while they were still dating…
Yugi shook his head, forcing himself to think happy thoughts. He brought his gaze back to Atem, who had been trying to get his attention.
Atem furrowed his brows and looked at Yugi, concerned. "Are you alright? It's really no trouble for me to cook. This is how I show I care," he said with a smile, walking over to Yugi and giving him a kiss on the cheek.
Yugi feigned a happy smile and nodded. "Sorry. I'm okay. And, I'm looking forward to whatever you're making. It smells delicious," he answered, trying to keep the conversation light.
Atem studied Yugi's face carefully, sensing that there was definitely something wrong. He smiled at his lover, not wanting to pry. "It's just a spinach and goat cheese frittata. I make it all the time. I figured you normally don't eat breakfast so this will be a life changing experience for you," he explained with a chuckle.
It was no secret that Yugi didn't live the healthiest lifestyle. His diet consisted of energy drinks and party sized bags of chips. Atem was shocked that Yugi was so thin considering he never ate fresh food.
Yugi blushed, remembering the previous night. "I think I've already had my life changing experience," he said with an uncharacteristic purr, tracing the marks on his wrists from Atem's pair of metal handcuffs.
Atem cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his head apologetically. "I can give you some arnica cream after we eat. Sorry...again," he said, turning back to the skillet, covering the top of it with tin foil and placing it in the full sized oven.
Yugi tilted his head to the side. "Arnica cream? And, don't be sorry, I had an amazing time. One of the most amazing times I've ever had," he reassured softly. He was glad to have reconnected with Atem. The ex-king led a different lifestyle. It was one from which Yugi could learn.
Atem leaned against the kitchen island and smirked. "Oh really? Well, hopefully I can keep outdoing myself," he said with a chuckle, "Let me grab the cream and I'll be right back," he walked out of the kitchen and disappeared into the condo.
Yugi stretched and sighed, taking this time to look around the luxury apartment. It was definitely not something he could ever hope to afford for himself. He shook his head at the sheer amount of excess when he looked in the fridge. There were different types of juices, fresh milk, fruit, and eggs. And, there was even a whole drawer dedicated to vegetables and a separate one for sparkling water.
He closed the refrigerator door with a roll of his eyes and opened the freezer, gawking at the amount of frozen high quality meats. He felt a strange surge of anger when he remembered that the only reason Atem could afford such a lifestyle, was because the former royal sold his soul to The Kaiba's.
I would never let Kaiba own me like this, Yugi thought bitterly, jumping in surprise when there was a knock at the door.
"Could you get that, Aibou! I'm still looking for the cream!" Atem called from the bedroom.
"Sure!" Yugi responded quickly, running to the door and swinging it open, not bothering to look through the peephole. His heart dropped into the pit of his stomach when he came face to face with Salem.
Shit, Yugi panicked, wondering what to say to the curly-haired teen.
Salem gazed at Yugi calmly and smiled. "Marhaban, Yugi-san. May I come in?" She asked politely, adjusting the cowl neck on her sweater dress.
Yugi blinked stupidly and then cleared his throat. "Oh, um, yeah," he said, moving out of the way to allow Salem entry into the condo. His heart thudded in his ears as she walked past him and stood in the foyer.
"Where's Atem? I wanted to talk to him about his special project," she asked patiently, studying her surroundings carefully, wandering into the kitchen.
Atem skipped into the living room, stopping in his tracks when he saw Salem pleasantly conversersing with Yugi. He cleared his throat to make himself known, causing Yugi and Salem to look in his direction.
"What do you want? It's my day off and I don't work for you. So. Leave." Atem spat, brushing past Salem and slamming a small tube onto the island before taking the skillet out of the oven.
Salem studied the tube and then looked Yugi up and down. "Arnica cream? Looks like you two had a fun night," she said with a chuckle, crossing her arms playfully, "Does Seto-sama know that you two went home together?" She asked, leaning against the island.
Atem's face went pale at the thought of Kaiba finding out that he and Yugi were officially lovers. He grabbed Salem's elbow forcefully. "Yugi, we'll be right back," he growled, pulling Salem into his home office.
He shoved her further into the room and shut the door behind him. "What are you playing at?" Atem interrogated sternly, trying to keep his voice down.
Salem rubbed her arm and gazed at Atem's harsh expression.
"No games. No politics. I'm here to help. Seto told me about your "special project". I think he's being cruel. I can tell you care about Yugi and so can he," she explained, tucking a loose tendril behind her ear, "Atem, your secret is safe with me but unfortunately there's no way out of your situation that doesn't have you lose in some way," she finished, sauntering over to Atem's desk chair and sitting down gracefully.
Atem gaped at her in confusion, trying to process the information she had just thrown at him. He shook his head to get his thoughts in order and ran his fingers through his hair with a sigh.
"You won't tell him about Yugi and me?" He asked carefully, walking over to a small couch he'd used to decorate the corner, setting himself down with a soft plop!
Salem nodded, staring into Atem's crimson eyes. "Seto told me what happened between Mokuba and you. I don't think they plan on having you back in America, Atem," she explained, her voice calm and even.
"In fact, I think they're planning on firing you once they get what they want," her eyes lowered to the floor as she sighed sadly, "I know what I am to Seto-sama. I have my duty to marry him and that's fine. But, I can't sit idly by and watch him drive a wedge between you and Yugi," she finished, returning her gaze to Atem.
Atem leaned forward and balanced his elbows on his knees as he thought carefully. It all made sense. The sudden transfer, the random chess tournament, and Mokuba's erratic behavior. The Kaiba brothers were out for blood.
But, why him?
"I guess I understand why they put me on the "special project". But, what I don't understand is what they would gain from acquiring the game sho— the property in question. According to Aibou, it's not worth much." Atem questioned, trying his best to keep his voice down.
Salem clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes. "It's easy for Yugi to believe that. The truth is that the shop holds tons of untapped potential which makes it a gold mine," she explained, tossing her hair over her shoulder, "How do you work for Kaiba Corp marketing and not understand a simple buyout?" She asked doubtfully, raising a curious eyebrow.
Atem shrugged and leaned back against the couch. "I was sleeping with the CEO and needed a job. Then we broke up," he said simply.
Salem tilted her head in confusion. "You were sleeping with Mokuba too?" She asked in a hushed tone.
Atem waved his hands wildly and shook his head from side to side. "No, no! I worked in Japan first while Kaiba and I were together. He proposed to me and I declined. Mokuba saw that things were awkward so he offered me my same position in the US," he explained, knowing that Salem was judging him silently.
Salem sighed and shook her head. "Wow, I can't believe I didn't think of that…" she trailed off slightly before standing up and smoothing out her dress.
Atem stood as well, blocking the exit so that Salem could elaborate. He stared into her amber eyes, his gaze intense. "What do you mean?" He asked fiercely.
"Mokuba has a bit of a crush on you, mish kida? Do you think he maybe got a little jealous of your relationship with Seto?" She asked, wondering why Atem would continue to be indebted to the Kaiba brothers at all.
Atem scoffed, taken aback by Salem's accusation. "He didn't start acting strange toward me until after my last business trip—" he cut himself off when he realized what prompted Mokuba's behavior.
He had always thought of Mokuba as a trustworthy confidante. But, upon thinking back on Mokuba's reaction when Atem told him of the fateful events on the Sunrise/Sunseto, the younger Kaiba's anger was beginning to make sense.
Atem stared down at the tips of his toes and sighed deeply. He'd made quite the mess. The Kaiba brothers probably wouldn't have targeted Yugi if it weren't for Atem's big mouth.
"...shit," he whispered, realizing this problem was much bigger than originally anticipated. This was all his fault.
"Hmpf. I guess you figured it out for yourself." Salem said with a small smirk, "Again, your secret is safe with me. I'll do some research on my end and see what I can do for you," she said, opening the door.
Atem gently grabbed Salem's hand to stop her before she exited the room. "Um, I— thanks. I misjudged you," he stuttered, feeling terrible for the way he'd treated her.
Salem smiled softly and gave Atem's hand a reassuring squeeze. "I'm used to it. No hard feelings, habibi," she answered, her voice smoother than silk. With that, she exited the room and walked into the kitchen.
Yugi blushed madly when Salem walked past him with a sultry smile. "Have a good breakfast! See you soon!" Was all she said before leaving the apartment. He let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding and smiled when Atem entered the kitchen.
"Sorry! The frittata smelled so good I couldn't wait so I dug in! Is everything okay?" Yugi asked, seeing that Atem was slightly shaken up.
Atem cleared his throat and gave Yugi a small smile. "Um, actually. I think we need to talk."
Sorry for the wait! I'm going through a family emergency and have found myself displaced until the beginning of March!
Join the community! (that way you'll know where I went off to when I disappear)- /pQtFqjszSB
